1 Preamble: LyX version scheme
3 In September of 1999 the LyX Team decided that we could no
4 longer successfully use the two strand development process
5 like the Linux kernel. We are in the process of switching to a
6 development model similar to that used by Fetchmail where we
7 will only make small stable changes between releases and
8 release more often. All future releases should be stable
9 although we are currently in a transition period where some
10 major changes have to be introduced and are likely to affect
11 the stability in the short term.
13 These changes include:
15 * Use of C++ Standard Library features such as the Standard
16 Template Library (STL), string and streams.
18 * Establishing the foundations of GUI/system independence,
20 * Rearrangement of the directory structure.
22 Once the transition is over the 1.1 series should be very
23 stable and we will then release 1.2.0. This new series will be
24 in a state of continual advancement. Note the word
25 "advancement" and not "development." Development will be
26 occurring in branches of CVS and once the feature/modification
27 has proved stable it will be merged into the main releases.
29 LyX now uses a continuous numbering scheme where odd or
30 even numbering is no longer significant. Prereleases are
31 labeled with a "pre" suffix and any fixes required between
32 stable releases have a "fix" suffix. Thus there are three
35 lyx-1.1.5.tar.gz -- stable release
36 lyx-1.1.5fix2.tar.gz -- bug fix of the 1.1.5 stable release.
37 lyx-1.1.5pre1.tar.gz -- potentially unstable test release
39 The fix releases contain no new functionality; only fixes that
40 have already made their way into the cvs repository.
44 LyX is an advanced open-source "document processor". Unlike
45 standard word processors, LyX encourages writing based on the
46 structure of your documents, not their appearance. It lets you
47 concentrate on writing, leaving details of visual layout to the
50 You can read more about this concept in the documentation,
51 which you'll find under the Help menu. If you plan to use LyX,
52 you really should read about it to be able to make the best of
57 LyX is not just another word processor that claims to be a
58 Desktop Publishing program. It's a more modern way of
59 creating documents that look much nicer, but without wasting
60 time with layout-fiddling. For these reasons you might need
61 little time to get used to the differences.
62 If you are looking for a free Desktop Publishing program for
63 Unix, you will be disappointed.
65 What do I need to run LyX?
67 A Unix-like system or OS/2 with XFree
68 At least X11 Release 5
69 A decent LaTeX2e installation (e.g. teTeX or NTeX) not older
71 Optionally ghostscript and ghostview (or compatible)
72 - note that ghostscript versions 6.22 through 6.52
73 won't render inline figures in LyX. This is due to
75 Perl5.002 or later to import LaTeX files into LyX
81 How do I install a binary distribution of LyX?
83 Unpack it and run it. We recommend unpacking it in /usr/local,
84 but it should work anywhere. In particular, you can try LyX
85 in a temporary directory before installing permanently by
88 We recommend that you configure LyX system-wide by copying the
89 file share/lyx/lyxrc.example to share/lyx/lyxrc, and then
90 reading and modifying it.
92 You should read the notes regarding this particular build in
95 How do I upgrade from an earlier LyX version?
97 Read the file UPGRADING for info on this subject.
98 If you are upgrading from version 0.12.0 or later, you don't
99 need to do anything special.
101 What do I need to compile LyX from the source distribution?
103 1. A good c++ compiler. Development is being done mainly on
104 gcc/g++, but many others work.
105 2. The Xforms library version 0.88 (recommended) or 0.89.
106 3. LibXpm version 4.7 (or newer).
108 Read the file "INSTALL" for more information on compiling.
110 Okay, I've installed LyX. What now?
112 Once you've installed it, and everything looks fine, go read
113 the "Introduction" item under the Help menu. You should follow
114 the instructions there, which tell you to read (or at least skim)
115 the Tutorial. After that, you should also read "Help/LaTeX
116 configuration" which provides info on your LaTeX configuration
117 as LyX sees it. You might be missing a package or two that you'd
120 User-level configuration is possible with a file "~/.lyx/lyxrc".
121 You can use the system-wide lyxrc file (which should be somewhere
122 like /usr/local/share/lyx/lyxrc) as a template for your personal
123 lyxrc file. Remember that a personal configuration file will be
124 used instead of, not in addition to, any system-wide file.
126 Does LyX have support for non-English speakers/writers/readers?
128 Yes. LyX supports writing in many languages.
130 Menus and error messages have been translated to the following
131 languages (* means there are language-specific keyboard menu
156 Keymaps can ease typing in one or more of the following languages:
173 Internet resources of relevance to LyX
175 The LyX homepage contains valuable information about LyX and the
176 various LyX mailing lists, as well as links to mirrors and other
177 LyX homepages around the world:
180 Main LyX archive site:
181 ftp://ftp.lyx.org/pub/lyx/
183 The LyX Development page has information about the development
184 effort. LyX is now under CVS control, so you can get the very
185 latest sources from there at any time.
186 http://www.devel.lyx.org/
187 ftp://www.devel.lyx.org/pub/lyx/
189 How do I submit a bug report?
191 If possible, read the Introduction found under the Help menu in LyX.
192 You'll find detailed info on submitting bug reports there.
194 If you can't do that, send details to the LyX Developers mailing
195 list, or use the LyX bug tracker at http://lyxbugs.sf.net/.
196 Don't forget to mention which version you are having problems with!
198 How can I participate in the development of LyX?
200 Any help with the development of LyX is greatly appreciated--
201 after all LyX wouldn't be what it is today without the help
202 of volunteers. We need your help!
204 If you want to work on LyX, you should contact the developer's
205 mailing list for discussion on how to do your stuff. LyX is being
206 cleaned up, and therefore it's important to follow some rules.
207 Read about those rules in development/Code_rules/.
209 If you don't know C++, there are many other ways to contribute.
210 Write documentation. Help to internationalize LyX by translating
211 documentation or menus/error messages, or by writing a new keymap.
212 Write a new textclass. Work on reLyX (Perl). Find bugs (but please
213 read the list of known bugs first). Contribute money. Or just offer
214 feature suggestions (but please read the online TODO list first).
216 Thank you for trying LyX, and we appreciate your feedback in the mailing