TeX Frequently Asked Questions - Section 5

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# TeX Systems

## (La)TeX for different machines

We list here the free or shareware packages; another question addresses commercial TeX vendors' products.

Unix
  Instructions for retrieving the Unix TeX distribution via anonymous `ftp` are available in the document `systems/unix/unixtex.ftp`, though nowadays the sensible installer will take (and possibly customise) one of the packaged distributions such as teTeX , or the TeX Live CD-ROM (see TeX CD-ROMs).

  For teTeX, browse `systems/unix/teTeX/1.0/distrib/sources` for relevant files: you need at most one each of the `.tar.gz` files for `teTeX-src`, `teTeX-texmf` and `teTeX-texmfsrc`

  Sets of binaries for many common Unix systems are to be found as part of the teTeX distribution, or on the TeX Live CD-ROM. For teTeX binaries, browse `systems/unix/teTeX/1.0/distrib/binaries` - there's a compressed `.tar` archive for each supported architecture in the directory. In default of a precompiled version, teTeX will compile on most Unix systems, though it was originally developed for use under Linux (see below).

Linux
  There are at least two respectable implementations of TeX to run on Linux, NTeX (available as `systems/unix/linux/ntex`) and teTeX (browse `systems/unix/teTeX/1.0/distrib/sources`).

  Beware the Slackware '96 CD-ROM distribution of NTeX: it includes a version of the CM fonts that has deeply offended Don Knuth (since it contravenes his distribution conditions). The Slackware updates now offer teTeX, as do most Linux distributions.

PC
  The emTeX package for PCs running OS/2, MS-DOS or Windows includes LaTeX, BibTeX, previewers, and drivers, and is available in `systems/msdos/emtex` as a series of zip archives. The package was written by Eberhard Mattes, and documentation is available in both German and English. Appropriate memory managers for using emTeX with 386 (and better) processors and under Windows, are included in the distribution.

  A second package, gTeX, runs under MS-DOS or Windows (and its users speak well of it). It is available from `systems/msdos/gtex`

  The most recent offering is an MS-DOS port of the Web2C 7.0 implementation, using the GNU djgpp compiler. It is available from `systems/msdos/djgpp`

PC: Win32
  fpTeX, by Fabrice Popineau, is a version of teTeX for Windows systems. As such, it is particularly attractive to those who need to switch back and forth between Windows and Unix environments, and to administrators who need to maintain both (fpTeX can use the same `texmf` tree as a teTeX installation). fpTeX's previewer (Windvi) is based on xdvi, and takes advantage of extra facilities in the Win32 environment. Printing is available via dvips only. fp\TeX is available from `systems/win32/fptex`

  MikTeX, by Christian Schenk, is also a comprehensive distribution, developed separately from the teTeX work. It has its own previewer, YAP, which is itself capable of printing, though the distribution also includes a port of dvips. See `http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/systems/win32/miktex/` for downloading details.

Windows NT, other platforms
  A Power PC port of MikTeX is available from `systems/win32/miktexppc`, and an AXP port is available from `systems/win32/miktex-AXP`
Mac
  OzTeX is a shareware version of TeX for the Macintosh. A DVI previewer and PostScript driver are also included. It should run on any Macintosh Plus, SE, II, or newer model, but will not work on a 128K or 512K Mac. It was written by Andrew Trevorrow, and is available in `nonfree/systems/mac/oztex`

  UK TUG prepays the shareware fee, so that its members may acquire the software without further payment. Questions about OzTeX may be directed to `oztex@midway.uchicago.edu`

  Another partly shareware program is CMacTeX (available as `systems/mac/cmactex`), put together by Tom Kiffe. This is much closer to the Unix TeX setup (it uses dvips, for instance). CMacTeX includes a port of the latest version of Omega.

OpenVMS
  TeX for OpenVMS is available as `systems/OpenVMS/TEX97_CTAN.ZIP`

  Standard tape distribution is through DECUS (see sources of software).

Atari
  TeX is available for the Atari ST in `systems/atari`

  If anonymous `ftp` is not available to you, send a message containing the line ``help`' to `atari@atari.archive.umich.edu`

Amiga
  Full implementations of TeX 3.1 (PasTeX) and METAFONT 2.7 are available in `systems/amiga`

  You can also order a CD-ROM containing this and other Amiga software from Walnut Creek CDROM, telephone (+1) 510-947-5997.

TOPS-20
  TeX was originally written on a DEC-10 under WAITS, and so was easily ported to TOPS-20. A distribution that runs on TOPS-20 is available via anonymous `ftp` from `ftp.math.utah.edu` (128.110.198.34) in `pub/tex/pub/web`

## TeX-friendly editors and shells

There are good TeX-writing environments and editors for most operating systems; some are described below, but this is only a personal selection:

Unix
  Try GNU emacs, and the AUCTeX mode (`support/auctex`). This provides menu items and control sequences for common constructs, checks syntax, lays out markup nicely, lets you call TeX and drivers from within the editor, and everything else like this that you can think of. Complex, but very powerful.
VMS
  An lsedit mode for editing TeX source is available from TUG as TeXniques 1, VAX Language-Sensitive Editor, by Kent MacPherson (1985).
MS-DOS
  There are several choices:
  - The (shareware) 4AllTeX workbench (`systems/msdos/4alltex`) provides a very comprehensive environment written in 4DOS which lets you access most TeX-related software in a friendly way. You can choose your own editor; something such as QEdit or Brief is suitable. This whole package is available in easy-to-use form on CD-ROM from TeX user groups.
  - TeXshell (`systems/msdos/texshell`) is a simpler, easily-customisable environment, which can be used with the editor of your choice.
  - Eddi4TeX (`systems/msdos/e4t`; also shareware) is a specially-written TeX editor which features intelligent colouring, bracket matching, syntax checking, online help and the ability to call TeX programs from within the editor. It is highly customisable, and features a powerful macro language.
  You can also use GNU emacs and AUCTeX under MS-DOS.
Windows 3.1
  Your best public domain bet is probably to use MicroEmacs as an editor and control centre for TeX programs. The gTeX package (`systems/msdos/gtex`) comes with MicroEmacs ready to go, integrated with TeX, previewer, dvips and Ghostscript.

  TeXtelmExtel (`systems/msdos/emtex-contrib/TeXtelmExtel`) is a Shell for emTeX or WTeX and related tools under Windows. It includes a simple multiple-document editor, a built-in spelling checker, automatic OEM/ANSI character conversion, user-definable point-and-click Templates, support for the forward and inverse search mechanism of DVI driver for Windows and for automatic font generation. Besides the predefined tools, up to 10 user-defined tools can be set up.

  On a PC with large enough memory, a version of GNU emacs, that will run under Windows, is available; thus you can also use AUCTeX under Windows.

  Y&Y's commercial (and high-quality) Windows previewer, dviwindo, can be used as a good TeX shell, calling programs such as TeX, drivers, and editors (Y&Y supply the public domain PE, and recommend the commercial Epsilon) from customisable menus (see commercial vendors for details of Y&Y).

  Scientific Word is a WYSIWYG editing program, strong on maths, which uses LaTeX for output (see vendors for contact address).

Windows '9x, NT
  Winedt, a shareware package (`systems/win32/winedt/winedt32.exe`), is highly spoken of. It provides a shell for the use of tex and related programs, as well as a powerful and well-configured editor.
OS/2
  Eddi4TeX works under OS/2; look also at `systems/os2/epmtex` for a specific OS/2 shell.
Macintosh
  The commercial Textures provides an excellent integrated Macintosh environment with its own editor. More powerful still (as an editor) is the shareware Alpha (`systems/mac/support/alpha`) which is extensible enough to let you perform almost any TeX-related job. It works well with OzTeX.

Atari, Amiga and NeXT users also have nice environments. LaTeX users who like make should try `support/latexmk`

There is another set of shell programs to help you manipulate BibTeX databases.

## Commercial TeX implementations

There are many commercial implementations of TeX. The first appeared not long after TeX itself appeared. Of the vendors, ArborText (formerly Textset) and Personal TeX are those who have survived longest (since the mid or early 80s).

What follows is probably an incomplete list. Naturally, no warranty or fitness for purpose is implied by the inclusion of any vendor in this list. The source of the information is given to provide some clues to its currency.

In general, a commercial implementation will come `complete', that is, with suitable previewers and printer drivers. They normally also have extensive documentation (i.e., not just the TeXbook!) and some sort of support service. In some cases this is a toll free number (probably applicable only within the USA and or Canada), but others also have email, and normal telephone and fax support.

Unix; TeX
  Silicon Graphics Iris/Indigo, Solaris 2.1, IBM RS/6000, DEC/RISC-Ultrix, HP 9000. ``Complete TeX packages. Ready to use, fully documented and supported.''

  > ArborText Inc
  > 1000 Victors Way
  > Suite 400
  > Ann Arbor MI 48108
  > USA
  > Tel: (+1) 313-996-3566
  > Fax: (+1) 313-996-3573

  Source: TUGboat 15(1) (1994)
VAX/VMS; Convergent TeX
  Complete system for VAX/VMS machines (a version for Alphas is in preparation); includes LaTeX, multinational typesetting support, METAFONT and Web.

  > Northlake Software, Inc.
  > 812 SW Washington, Ste 1100
  > Portland, OR 97201
  > USA
  > Tel: (+1) 503-228-3383
  > Fax: (+1) 503-228-5662
  > Email: `rau@nls.com`

  Source: Email from Pat Rau, November 1994
PC; TrueTeX
  Runs on Windows 3.1, Window NT and Windows 95.

  > Richard J. Kinch
  > 6994 Pebble Beach Court
  > Lake Worth FL 33467
  > USA
  > Tel: (+1) 561-966-8400 Fax: (+1) 561-966-0962 Email: `kinch@holonet.net`
  > Web: `http://idt.net/~truetex`

  Source: News posting from Richard Kinch, October 1997
PC; TeX
  ``Bitmap free TeX for Windows.''

  > Y&Y, Inc.
  > 45 Walden Street
  > Concord MA 01742
  > USA
  > Tel: 800-742-4059 (within the USA)
  > Tel: (+1) 508-371-3286
  > Fax: (+1) 508-371-2004
  > Email: `sales-help@YandY.com` and `tech-help@YandY.com`
  > Web: `http://www.YandY.com/`

  Source: Y&Y announcement, February 1995
pcTeX
  Long-established: pcTeX32 is a Windows implementation.

  > Personal TeX Inc
  > 12 Madrona Street
  > Mill Valley, CA 94941
  > USA
  > Tel: 800-808-7906 (within the USA)
  > Fax: (+1) 415-388-8865
  > Email: `texsales@pctex.com` and `texsupp@pctex.com`
  > Web: `http://www.pctex.com/`

  Source: Mail from Personal TeX Inc, September 1997
PC; VTeX
  DVI, PDF and HTML backends, Visual Tools and Type 1 fonts

  > MicroPress Inc
  > 68-30 Harrow Street
  > Forest Hills, NY 11375
  > USA
  > Tel: (+1) 718-575-1816
  > Fax: (+1) 718-575-8038
  > Email: `support@micropress-inc.com`
  > Web: `http://www.micropress-inc.com/`

  Source: Mail from MicroPress, Inc., July 1999
PC; microTeX
  MicroTeX and TeX tools.

  > Micro Programs, Inc.
  > 251 Jackson Ave.
  > Syosset, NY 11791
  > USA
  > Tel: (+1) 516-921-1351
  > Email: `sales@microprograms.com`

  Source: AMS listing, November 1994
PC; Scientific Word
  Scientific Word and Scientific Workplace offer a mechanism for near-WYSIWYG input of LaTeX documents; they ship with TrueTeX from Kinch (see above). Queries within the UK and Ireland should be addressed to Scientific Word Ltd., others should be addressed directly to the publisher, MacKichan Software Inc.

  > Dr Christopher Mabb
  > Scientific Word Ltd.
  > 49 Queen Street
  > Peterhead
  > Aberdeenshire, AB42 1TU
  > UK
  > Tel: 0845 7660340 (within the UK)
  > Tel: +44 1779 490500
  > Fax: 01779 490600 (within the UK)
  > Email: `christopher@sciword.demon.co.uk`
  > Web: `http://www.sciword.demon.co.uk`

  > MacKichan Software Inc.
  > 600 Ericksen Ave. NE, Suite 300
  > Bainbridge Island WA 98110
  > USA
  > Tel: (+1) 206 7802799
  > Fax: (+1) 206 7802857
  > Email: `info@mackichan.com`
  > Web: `http://www.mackichan.com`

  Source: Mail from Christopher Mabb, May 1999
Macintosh; Textures
  ``A TeX system `for the rest of us'''; also gives away a METAFONT implementation and some font manipulation tools.

  > Blue Sky Research
  > 534 SW Third Avenue
  > Portland, OR 97204
  > USA
  > Tel: 800-622-8398 (within the USA)
  > Tel: (+1) 503-222-9571
  > Fax: (+1) 503-222-1643
  > Email: `sales@bluesky.com`
  > Web: `http://www.bluesky.com/`

  Source: TUGboat 15(1) (1994)
AmigaTeX
  A full implementation for the Commodore Amiga, including full, on-screen and printing support for all PostScript graphics and fonts, IFF raster graphics, automatic font generation, and all of the standard macros and utilities.

  > Radical Eye Software
  > PO Box 2081
  > Stanford, CA 94309
  > USA

  Source: Mail from Tom Rokicki, November 1994

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