proTeXt - MiKTeX-based distribution for Windows
proTeXt is an easy-to-install TeX distribution for Windows, based on MiKTeX. It guides the installation via a short pdf document (available in English, French, German, Polish, and Spanish), which provides clickable links to install the various components, along with explanations.
You can download the self-extracting image; it is about 415MB (md5 checksum). Please retrieve it from your nearest CTAN mirror if possible; it's in the directory CTAN:systems/windows/protext. (proTeXt is also included in TeX Collection 2005, which you can get by becoming a TeX user group member, if you care to support them.)
You can glance through the install document online, but be aware you must actually download the distribution and run the pdf from there for the installation to work. Following the links over the web does not work!
proTeXt also adds a few tools on top of MiKTeX: TeXnicCenter, Ghostscript/GSview, and a 30-day trial version of WinEdt (WinEdt license discounts are available through TUG, Dante, and other user groups).
If you are a new TeX user on Windows, or want to update your setup, we hope you'll find proTeXt to be an easy installation. Testing and comments are always welcome, please email to
[email protected]. The .exe file is also a zip file; you can inspect it via unzip (on any platform).
The main proTeXt (and MiKTeX) image can also be used as a "live" TeX installation, without installing to hard disk, but they are too large for a standard CD. So an installable-only proTeXt image (md5) is also available; this fits on a CD.
New users can find some starting points for actually using TeX in this introduction to the TeX system.
How you can help
Please report problems and suggestions to the protext mailing list, after checking the list of known bugs.
We encourage proTeXt users to join their local TeX user group to support this and other TeX activities. We also encourage a donation to MiKTeX development if possible. And Thomas would be grateful for any donations to AIDS-Hilfe Hagen, an AIDS support organization in his city.
proTeXt's creator and principal maintainer is Thomas Feuerstack, while MiKTeX was created and is maintained by Christian Schenk. Many, many thanks to both.
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50 $; TUG home page; search; contact webmaster.