texlive vs. Context minimal on Windows
I know that Context Minimals is more up to date than texlive, which is updated yearly. But texlive when installed on Windows adds a menu under "programs" that is very handy for beginners. I don't have an internet conection for my windows partition. (Some nonsense about a driver for my ethernet board.) So I ask the question: when a user downloads Context Minimals on a Windows partition what must they do to run the programs such as context and mtxrun? Go to a text console? I am writing a book about using Context for novels, so my question is not idle. About 90% of my audience will be using Windows. -- John Culleton Wexford Press Free list of books for self-publishers: http://wexfordpress.net/shortlist.html PDF e-book: "Create Book Covers with Scribus" available at http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
On Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 3:43 PM, john Culleton
when a user downloads Context Minimals on a Windows partition what must they do to run the programs such as context and mtxrun? Go to a text console?
In Windows it is called Command Prompt, but yes. Unless you also install a ConTeXt compatible editor like SciTe. Don't know if TeXLive for Windows contains an editor that works with the distribution's ConTeXt - in that case it might be a smarter choice despite being slightly outdated. I must admit that I haven't tried TeXLive on my Windows machine, I follow my own advice (http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Windows_Installation:_ConTeXt_Suite_with_SciTe) and run ConTeXt Suite with SciTe. BTW, why minimals and not the full ConTeXt Suite (the one called earlier standalone)? I mean that if you are prepared to install TeXLive, this shouldn't be a space issue. Just curious... Regards, Mari
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 16:26:48 +0300
Mari Voipio
On Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 3:43 PM, john Culleton
wrote: when a user downloads Context Minimals on a Windows partition what must they do to run the programs such as context and mtxrun? Go to a text console?
In Windows it is called Command Prompt, but yes. Unless you also install a ConTeXt compatible editor like SciTe.
Don't know if TeXLive for Windows contains an editor that works with the distribution's ConTeXt - in that case it might be a smarter choice despite being slightly outdated. I must admit that I haven't tried TeXLive on my Windows machine, I follow my own advice (http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Windows_Installation:_ConTeXt_Suite_with_SciTe) and run ConTeXt Suite with SciTe.
BTW, why minimals and not the full ConTeXt Suite (the one called earlier standalone)? I mean that if you are prepared to install TeXLive, this shouldn't be a space issue. Just curious...
Regards,
Mari _________________________________________________________________________
I can use the standard context product. Unfortunately for me The download for windows of either version requires an internet connection and in Windows I am still fighting that problem. Texlive comes on a downloadable dvd image. That dvd is OS agnostic. I have loaded it on Win XP, Win 7 and Slackware linux. If there were a way to download minimals or the full context suite for windows as an iso image I would be home free. But fate is not so kind to me. Just fyi TeXlive when installed on Windows also loads a program submenu, and one of the entries there is texworks. So I can pretty much insulate my users from dreaded (by some) command line. That was the reason for my original question. -- John Culleton Wexford Press Free list of books for self-publishers: http://wexfordpress.net/shortlist.html PDF e-book: "Create Book Covers with Scribus" available at http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 11:40:57 -0400
john Culleton
Just found a zip file which may contain the full context distro for windows. Stay tuned for success/failure notice. -- John Culleton Wexford Press Free list of books for self-publishers: http://wexfordpress.net/shortlist.html PDF e-book: "Create Book Covers with Scribus" available at http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 12:12:28 -0400
john Culleton
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 11:40:57 -0400 john Culleton
wrote: Just found a zip file which may contain the full context distro for windows. Stay tuned for success/failure notice.
Failure. It was just a repackaging of the Windows download and unzip software. -- John Culleton Wexford Press Free list of books for self-publishers: http://wexfordpress.net/shortlist.html PDF e-book: "Create Book Covers with Scribus" available at http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
Hello!
On Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 6:40 PM, john Culleton
Just fyi TeXlive when installed on Windows also loads a program submenu, and one of the entries there is texworks. So I can pretty much insulate my users from dreaded (by some) command line. That was the reason for my original question.
If your users are what I call "an average Windows user", I'd go for TeXLive, assuming the ConteXt there doesn't have some known *major* flaw in the basic functions. I must admit for my part that I update my work ConTeXt - i.e. the one in Windows - only every 3-6 months; I just can't be bothered without a good reason... A complete beginner won't need any of the newest features, a slightly outdated version ConTeXt will do fine for teaching the basics. I've thought that one of the main ideas with TeXLive is to make life easier for those who don't like spending time tweaking their computer or just don't have the knowledge required. As the easier option exists, why not take it. :-) TeXworks may not be the world's most advanced editor, but good enough with highlighting and it allows doing everything by clicking as opposed to using the unfamiliar command line interface. And frankly, TeXWorks looks more like "Windows" than SciTe, so it is probably a better choice anyway. On my Mac I prefer TeXShop to TeXWorks, but the latter is good enough. Besides, I've been using ConTeXt for a long time, so I know what I like - beginners will take whatever you give them and make do. The main thing is to make a choice and stick to it, to avoid additional confusion. BTW, I'm working on (or this far, thinking hard about) some material for a *complete* beginner (coming from the world of WYSIWYG) and also on some on teaching ConTeXt to non-techies, which will be subject of my talk at this year's ConTeXt meeting. I'll be happy to share all my material, if it helps! Regards, Mari (who may have to update to get access to the newest SciTe features - I'm still trying to make up my mind about whether I want them badly enough to take the risk...)
On 8/31/2013 6:15 PM, Mari Voipio wrote:
TeXworks may not be the world's most advanced editor, but good enough with highlighting and it allows doing everything by clicking as opposed to using the unfamiliar command line interface. And frankly, TeXWorks looks more like "Windows" than SciTe, so it is probably a better choice anyway. On my Mac I prefer TeXShop to TeXWorks, but the latter is good enough. Besides, I've been using ConTeXt for a long time, so I know what I like - beginners will take whatever you give them and make do. The main thing is to make a choice and stick to it, to avoid additional confusion.
it depends on what you do with context ... texworks is rather tuned to latex (and as i don't use it i keep no track of the configurations needed for convenient context use), is hard to use with non tex files (and i like to use - in my case scite - for all my editing, not only tex, doesn't have the advanced hybrid lexer that we ship for scite, etc if scite for osx would come with the lpeg lexer plugin i would even be willing to use the mac every now and then -) Hans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | voip: 087 875 68 74 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------
On 8/31/2013 5:40 PM, john Culleton wrote:
If there were a way to download minimals or the full context suite for windows as an iso image I would be home free. But fate is not so kind to me.
installing the garden via rsync (one can even be more monimal with an initial --engine=luatex install as then successive runs will also only download luatex only) is way more efficient than an (uncompressed and carrying all engines) iso image each update Hans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | voip: 087 875 68 74 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 23:44:30 +0200
Hans Hagen
On 8/31/2013 5:40 PM, john Culleton wrote:
If there were a way to download minimals or the full context suite for windows as an iso image I would be home free. But fate is not so kind to me.
installing the garden via rsync (one can even be more monimal with an initial --engine=luatex install as then successive runs will also only download luatex only) is way more efficient than an (uncompressed and carrying all engines) iso image each update
Hans
In the general case, affecting 99.9% of Context users that is the best strategy. I am however caught in an unusual situation. I have two computers at my work station, both Syx (Systemax) computers and both delivered without any OS. I installed Linux on both and they work just fine. When I install Windows XP or Windows 7 on either machine there is a problem with the ethernet connection. But my projected customer base is likely of the Windows persuasion. Turning now to my template design, it is easiest for me if I use plain instead of either Context or Latex formats. Luatex would be an ideal candidate but for one thing. In pdftex and Context one can set protrusion at a large or a smaller amount. The large version is too large for a novel. However luatex hasn't advanced that far. I assume that it will one day and that an updated version of luatex will show up in your distros long before texlive is updated. In the meantime I am beating at the virtual doors of the support people for Systemax looking for the correct Windows driver for ethernet. Perhaps the protrusion problem has already been solved in your latest luatex. I will check it out on my (linux) version of Context standard. If not I will retreat to pdftex (gasp) for my template. Protrusion and microtypography are two advantages of TeX and InDesign for the novel writer. I need to be able to demonstrate those advantages when offering my template. As a reminder: I don't have a problem with documents I create here. I am a bit fiddler from way back. It is the potential users of my templating system that I am concerned about. Telling them that they must modify a file buried in the innards of TeX is a bridge too far. -- John Culleton Wexford Press Free list of books for self-publishers: http://wexfordpress.net/shortlist.html PDF e-book: "Create Book Covers with Scribus" available at http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
On 9/1/2013 6:56 PM, john Culleton wrote:
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 23:44:30 +0200 Hans Hagen
wrote: On 8/31/2013 5:40 PM, john Culleton wrote:
If there were a way to download minimals or the full context suite for windows as an iso image I would be home free. But fate is not so kind to me.
installing the garden via rsync (one can even be more monimal with an initial --engine=luatex install as then successive runs will also only download luatex only) is way more efficient than an (uncompressed and carrying all engines) iso image each update
Hans
In the general case, affecting 99.9% of Context users that is the best strategy. I am however caught in an unusual situation. I have two computers at my work station, both Syx (Systemax) computers and both delivered without any OS. I installed Linux on both and they work just fine. When I install Windows XP or Windows 7 on either machine there is a problem with the ethernet connection. But my projected customer base is likely of the Windows persuasion.
imo changing your workflow because of crappy hardware is a bad idea (it's hard to find a motherboard with an ethernet device on it that os so broken that windows won't work)
Perhaps the protrusion problem has already been solved in your latest luatex. I will check it out on my (linux) version of Context standard. If not I will retreat to pdftex (gasp) for my template. Protrusion and microtypography are two advantages of TeX and InDesign for the novel writer. I need to be able to demonstrate those advantages when offering my template.
i'm not aware of problems with protrusion (not much changed in the implementation) Hans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | voip: 087 875 68 74 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------
participants (3)
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Hans Hagen
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john Culleton
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Mari Voipio