Working with LaTeX
LaTeX was created for and is widely used in academia. It is a WYGIWYW
(“what you get is what you want”) document markup language created for the
TeX typesetting system. Multiple editors are available for use with LaTeX,
and they are likely to be found for just about every operating system in
existence.
NOTE
WYSIWYG is an acronym for “what you see is what you get” that has
often been used to describe word processors and document creation systems
that use a graphical interface. Unfortunately, anyone who has created
documents with these programs, including the ones mentioned earlier in
this chapter, such as LibreOffice, knows that what you see on the screen is
not always what appears in the printed version on paper. There are no
promises about how things will or will not look on the screen while using a
LaTeX editor for your TeX document, but the format promises that the
ultimate output will be exactly what you ask for.A couple of the more popular LaTeX editors available from the Ubuntu
Software Center are discussed in this section. You can also create and edit
using any text editor, including gedit.
Texmaker not only has a version in the Ubuntu Software Center but also
offers versions for Windows and macOS from www.xm1math.net/texmaker/.
It is free, easy to use, and mature. The program has been around for a while,
and it is stable, has many useful features, and is rather popular in the TeX
world.
LyX follows suit with both a version in the Ubuntu Software Center and
versions available for Windows and macOS from its website, at www.lyx.org.
The main appeal for LyX users is its graphical interface, which makes it an
interesting bridge from WYSIWYG to LaTeX. It also has many plug-ins
available to expand functionality.
Kile was written and designed for use with KDE. As such, it blends in well
with Kubuntu but also runs well on a standard Ubuntu installation. It also has
a Windows version available. See http://kile.sourceforge.net for details.
Productivity Applications Written for
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is fundamentally different from Linux, yet you can install