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====== TeX and LaTeX ======

TeX and LaTeX is a mathematical computer typesetting system much used for scientific documents. To use the system effectively, you probably have to refer to one of the reference manuals. The LaTeX "bible" has always been **LaTeX: A document preparation system** by Leslie Lamport. Some good online guides to start with also include:

    * **The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX 2e** by Tobias Oetiker (available in [[http://www.physics.umn.edu/support/doc/latex/lshort.ps|PS]], [[http://www.physics.umn.edu/support/doc/latex/lshort.pdf|PDF]] and [[http://www.physics.umn.edu/support/doc/latex/lshort.dvi|DVI]] formats).
    * **A Beginner's Guide to Typesetting with LaTeX**, by Peter Flynn ([[http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/beginlatex/html/|html]] or [[http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/beginlatex/beginlatex.pdf|pdf]]). 

You can find these guides and much other useful information through the [[http://www.tug.org/|TeX Users Group]] web site. The University of Cambridge Engineering Department also has a good [[http://www-h.eng.cam.ac.uk/help/tpl/textprocessing/|introduction to LaTeX]]. The following two online guides may be of use for quick reference:

    * [[http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/latex2e-help-texinfo/latex2e.html|LaTeX-2e command reference]]
    * [[http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/doc/html/usrguide/|LaTeX-2e for authors]]

Some basic commands, however, are:

    * To process your prepared tex document, ''file.tex'':
<code>    latex file</code>

    * To view the resulting DVI file, ''file.dvi'':
<code>    xdvi file</code>

    * To produce a PostScript file from the DVI file:
<code>    dvips file</code>

    * To view the resulting PS file, ''file.ps'':
<code>    gv file.ps</code>

    * To print the PS file, two-sided, on printer 216:
<code>    lpr -P216 -K2 file.ps</code>

There is also software, [[http://www.physics.umn.edu/support/doc/tth_manual.html|tth (TeX to HTML)]], which can attempt to convert TeX input into HTML for the web.

===== Local additions =====
Some locally installed style files for LaTeX are available, which may be useful - for example //mnthesis.sty// and //resume.sty//.

===== LyX =====
A easy-to-use graphical "front end" for LaTeX, called LyX, is available. Run it by typing the command ''lyx''. Further documentation is available at the LyX web site:

    * [[http://www.lyx.org/]]