Hi, I use Slackware from version 12.0
When i have two write something more formal the choice is always Latex.
But as we all know the TEX version presented in Slackware is no longer supported (since 2009), I produce some report that used algorithmic package and in Windows generates correctly (last TexLive) but in Slackware64 13.34 give error because don't understand some macros.

We all know that the tex version is outdated, and TexLive may be too big, but I'm starting this thread so we could find a solution.

For example MiKTeX can be a suitable substitute?

Maybe in next Slackware other Tex package can be available

Making TexLive from source is a really straightforward, if somewhat lengthy process. And there is already a Slackbuild for it. I would vote to simply remove teTex, so that installing TexLive takes one less step. I use TeX for a living, but let's face it, it's clearly a niche application, and I bet a whole lot more people, if forced to make a choice, would rather see LibreOffice on an official DVD.

I also use LaTeX extensively for my job. Unfortunately texlive is too big a distribution to ship with Slackware. I simply build it using the slackbuild script in slackbuilds.org.

I agreed with qweasd, if the package is not maintain is better just remove it and let the users install it's own Tex of choice.
Shipping a dead project don't help much and it's consuming space that other features could need.

There is an older thread that discusses the TeTex vs TexLive issue. http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ckware-635217/
Pat Volkerding is quoted there as saying
The point is the project may not be undergoing further development, but it is still very usable in the shipped form, due to being designed for longevity. It is a shining testament to the work of Donald Knuth. I make use of it in providing PDF document printing facilities to my network users. It performs just fine for this purpose and I have no need to to pursue the much more resource hungry TexLive.
TexLive is a much more difficult project to bring into Slackware as it provides its own package management facilities that would be difficult to accommodate in Slackware. If you want and need TexLive then you can install it for yourself. Including TexLive would consume far more space than TeTex. TBH, I find calling for the replacement of TeTex with TexLive in Slackware, just because you cannot run a few macros and are too lazy to build your own TexLive, to lack consideration of other Slackware users.

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Does TeXLive provide any functionality that teTeX doesn't? Anyway teTeX still works for me

I install TexLive, and i haven't ask for TexLive in slackware, simply said If TeTex is not supported, and maybe multiple users uninstall and install TexLive, why not remove TeTex and use that space for other features.

Then each user is free to install TeTex or TexLive or other thing. Of course this is only my point of view.

I also agree that TeTeX works quite well (I'm a mathematician btw.). For some unusual styles and symbols you might need the newer packages in TeXlive but otherwise the TeTeX version that ships with Slackware is sufficient. I do not object to TeXlive itself but it really is too large to be included in the installation CD/DVD.

Personally I've never used TeTex or TexLive but this line piqued my curiosity. Care to elaborate on this little gem

Thanks,

It's a package that are used to convert .tex files to postscripts, dvi or pdf files. LaTeX is a way of writing documents/articles/books. It isn't wysiwyg, but it is still extremely efficient. I think I have two or three math/physics books where there some place in the preface says "This book was written using LaTeX".

Mathematicians, or physicists like using latex because its easy to write formulas. It's also very consistent in behavior. I find it a real PITA to write documents in Openoffice, because if you make one little change in the top of the document, you will have ripple effects all the way down. This isn't so much so in LaTeX.

Also, you can have LaTeX take care of citation, page numbering, titles, subtitles, Content list etc. It's usually done quite neatly.

allend:
Ilgar:
You guys make a lot of sense, so let me just scale back a bit what I said earlier. teTeX is indeed a great package as it is, and I see no compelling reason to remove it. I actually use it now, if only because I don't feel like making TeXLive. I also use the latter with Ubuntu, and, as far as I can tell, they are highly compatible. The only real beef I have with teTeX is the absence of Mathew Carter's Charter. That said, I personally wouldn't miss teTeX either. I prefer TeXLive, and I don't mind building it in one very very long step.

From what i see TeTex is more than enough to the majority of slackware users.
I give a try to TexLive and it went very bad, if someone could help me follow this thread.

Thanks

Some good reasons here to use LaTeX.

I use Texlive. I downloaded the ISO (quite big at 1.9GB), mounted it, and ran install-tl. Simple. And a well-configured Vim with a pleasant colour scheme (e.g., molokai) renders the writing process far more pleasant and productive than it ever was for me in any WYSIWYG word-processing program.

Needless to say, the output is vastly superior as well.

There is a good introduction to LaTeX here.

Yes. If you work on with languages that differ from English a lot, Chinese, for example, then TeTex is not sufficient.
I follow the pattern of some here, did not install TeTex from Slackware DVD, but went for TexLxlive provided in slackbuild. I am more then satisfied.

XeTeX only comes with TexLive I believe.