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Scenes from the University of Rhode Island

Step 1: Install LATEX and an Editor

LATEX is not a word processor, it is a document preparation system for high-quality typesetting. It is most often used for medium-to-large technical or scientific documents, but it can be used for almost any form of publishing. LATEX encourages authors not to worry too much about the appearance of their documents but to concentrate on getting the content right.

Because LATEX source files are just ordinary text files, any text editor can be used to edit them, but it is important to have a LATEX aware editor. A LATEX aware editor can do things like syntax highlighting, spell checking, and automatic formatting. It can also run LATEX on the source files, update the bibliography, then update the document in a viewer all at the click of a button. The editor Texmaker is suggested for all operating systems, and all examples in this guide are for Texmaker only.

Below are links to what you need to get started on various operating systems. Check out the LATEX Project website for more information.

Linux

Your system distribution or vendor has probably provided a LATEX system. If not, check your usual software source for the texlive package, or otherwise install texlive directly. All of the Linux systems in the ELE Department already have a complete LATEX system installed.

Texmaker is an excellent cross platform editor that works on Linux, and is what is used in the examples in this guide.

Microsoft Windows

proTeXt is a full LATEX system for Microsoft Windows, which includes MikTeX and TeXnicCenter, as well as a few other packages.

Texmaker is an excellent cross platform editor not included in proTeXt, and is what is used in the examples in this guide.

MacOS

MacTeX is a full LATEX system for MacOS.

Texmaker is an excellent cross platform editor not included in MacTeX, and is what is used in the examples in this guide.

Getting Started

  1. Introduction
  2. Install LATEX and an Editor
  3. Get the Template Files
  4. Setup BIBTEX Wrapper
  5. Verify the Setup
  6. Initial Configuration

Template Reference

Help With Latex

Graduate School Resources