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Latex Install

📅 2026-06-22 | 📂 LaTeX

LaTeX is a typesetting system based on TeX. Before use, you need to install a TeX distribution and an editor.

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This chapter introduces LaTeX installation and configuration, applicable to Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.

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LaTeX Installation

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1. Windows System

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On Windows systems, it is recommended to use MiKTeX or TeX Live to install LaTeX.

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Installing MiKTeX

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  1. Download MiKTeX: Visit the MiKTeX official website and download the installer suitable for your system.
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  2. Run the Installer: Double-click the downloaded installer and follow the prompts. It is recommended to select "Full Installation" to ensure all common packages are installed.
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  3. Configure Environment Variables: After installation, ensure that the MiKTeX bin directory has been added to the system's PATH environment variable. This allows you to use LaTeX commands directly from the command line.
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Installing TeX Live

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  1. Download TeX Live: Visit the TeX Live official website and download the installer suitable for your system.
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  2. Run the Installer: Double-click the downloaded installer and follow the prompts. The TeX Live installation process can be time-consuming as it includes a large number of packages and tools.
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  3. Configure Environment Variables: After installation, ensure that the TeX Live bin directory has been added to the system's PATH environment variable.
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2. macOS System

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On macOS systems, it is recommended to use MacTeX to install LaTeX.

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Installing MacTeX

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  1. Download MacTeX: Visit the MacTeX official website and download the installer suitable for your system.
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  2. Run the Installer: Double-click the downloaded .pkg file and follow the prompts. MacTeX includes TeX Live along with related GUI tools.
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  3. Configure Environment Variables: After installation, ensure that the TeX Live bin directory has been added to the system's PATH environment variable.
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3. Linux System

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On Linux systems, it is recommended to use TeX Live to install LaTeX.

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3.3.1 Installing TeX Live

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  1. Install using Package Manager: Most Linux distributions provide TeX Live packages. You can use your package manager to install it. For example, on Ubuntu, you can use the following command: sudo apt-get install texlive-full. This will install the complete TeX Live distribution, including all common packages and tools.
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  2. Manual Installation: If you need the latest version of TeX Live, you can download the installation script from the TeX Live official website and install it manually.
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LaTeX Configuration

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Editor Selection

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LaTeX documents are plain text files, so you can use any text editor to write LaTeX code. However, using a dedicated LaTeX editor can improve efficiency. Here are some commonly used LaTeX editors:

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  • TeXstudio: A cross-platform LaTeX editor with powerful features, suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
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  • Overleaf: An online LaTeX editor that requires no installation, ideal for collaboration and quick editing.
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  • VS Code: A general-purpose code editor that supports LaTeX editing and compilation through plugins (such as LaTeX Workshop).
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Compiling LaTeX Documents

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LaTeX documents need to be compiled to generate the final PDF file. Common compilation commands include:

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  • pdflatex: Generates a PDF file, suitable for most documents.
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  • xelatex: Supports Unicode and TrueType fonts, suitable for processing Chinese documents.
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  • lualatex: A Lua-based compilation engine that supports modern fonts and advanced features.
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The usage of compilation commands is as follows:

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pdflatex mydocument.tex
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This will generate the mydocument.pdf file.

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Handling Chinese Documents

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If you need to handle Chinese documents, it is recommended to use the xelatex or lualatex compilation engines, along with the ctex package. Below is a simple LaTeX Chinese document example:

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Example

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\\documentclass{ctexart}\n\\begin{document}\n  Hello, world!\n\\end{document}
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To compile this document using xelatex:

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Example

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xelatex mydocument.tex
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Installing and Managing Packages

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LaTeX packages can be installed and managed via a package manager. In MiKTeX and TeX Live, you can use the following commands to install packages:

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  • MiKTeX: Use MiKTeX Console to search for and install packages.
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  • TeX Live: Use the tlmgr command to install packages. For example: tlmgr install <package-name>
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