LaTeX Install: Do I have this right?

[Saladsamurai]

Hello All!

I need to install LaTeX on a university computer (Windows XP) and so I have to run the install process by our administrator. Before I do so, want to make sure I have all the details. I planned on using MikTex and TeXnicCenter. I believe that I need:

1) To download and install MikTex from http://miktex.org/2.9/setup

2) To download and install TeXnicCenter from http://www.texniccenter.org/resources/downloads/29


Do I need to do any configuring between the two pieces of software? Or is it done automatically?

Also, it says that when you use a directive like \usepackage{memoir}, it will trigger the installer automatically and install the package at the time of first use. Do you think that this will be an issue if I do not have administrative rights to the computer? I hate to think that I will need to go get this guy every time I use a new directive

Any thoughts are helpful! Thanks!

 

[Saladsamurai]

For anyone who might find this, I successfully installed LaTeX by doing the following:

1) Downloaded MikTex from http://miktex.org/2.9/setup

and

TeXnicCenter from
http://www.texniccenter.org/resources/downloads/29

2) Ran the MikTeX installer

-accepted default conditions except for "install on the fly" which I
changed to 'yes' instead of 'ask me first'

3) Ran TexnicCenter installer accepting all default conditions

4)Open TeXnicCenter, close tip of day, and when promted for'Full Path
of directory where executables...' browse to:

C:\Program Files\MiKTeX 2.9\miktex\bin

5) Accept remaining defaults and finish

Happy LaTeXing!

 

[AlephZero]

Do I need to do any configuring between the two pieces of software? Or is it done automatically?

You don't need to configure anything in MiKTeX, unless you really want to make your installation non-standard for some reason I don't know about TexnicCenter - never used it.

Actually, you may not even need to have administrator privilege, if you only want to install it for use in your own account, not for all accounts. (You definitely don't need to be logged on as the Administrator account - a user account with admin privilege works fine).

Also, it says that when you use a directive like \usepackage{memoir}, it will trigger the installer automatically and install the package at the time of first use. Do you think that this will be an issue if I do not have administrative rights to the computer? I hate to think that I will need to go get this guy every time I use a new directive

It only installs each package once - not every single time you use it! The most common packages are part of the basic install anyway.

If you have a list of packages that you know you want, make a dummy TeX document that contains \usepackage{} for all of them, and get your administrator to run it through TeX. MiKTeX will then download and install everything you haven't already got.

Alternatively, you could get your administrator to install the full LaTeX system with every package in the database. THis is a bit more complicated than the "basic" instal, (and it's a much bigger download) but the procedure is described step by step on the MiKTeX website.