A text by Stephen Harris with the purpose of helping users of Microsoft Windows choosing to install LyX with an alternative 
LaTeX distribution rather than the recommended ''Miktex'', before 
the use of the LyX installer. The advice focuses on including the 
Latex distribution in the Windows Path statement.

[[include:Site.DefineWikiStyles]]

!! Some specific advice for new users of Windows XP on installing LyX who've not chosen MikTeX

This tip is for Windows users new to the LyX installation scheme, 
who have decided to get the Latex helper program needed for the LyX 
installation before they start the install with the LyX installer. 
The installer usually provides access to MikTeX, the recommended 
Latex program, during the installation. This advice is useful for currently available installer versions: Lyx1.3.6


In order for LyX to work, it is necessary to install some 
helper programs prior to the LyX install itself. Obtaining 
these programs can be done before running the LyX installer. 
The default Latex program is called MikTeX, and it is recommended. 
It's possible to install another Latex program 
called ProTeXt which is similar to MikTex. The TeX 
User Group (TUG) puts out a DVD which contains the ProText 
setup files. TUG calls the DVD which also has Linux install 
files, TeXLive2005. TUG also produces another release of 
TeXLive2005 on a cd, which is smaller and different from MikTeX. 
It is for Win32 and based on another Latex distribution (based on XemTex). Win32 and ProText are obtained separately and not integral 
to the LyX installer which again, favors MikTeX.

The point of this tip is to remind you to put the folder 
which contains "latex.exe" into the Windows Path before 
starting the LyX installation if you chose the last option 
above, Win32. The entry needed for the Windows Path is
 [=	C:\TeXLive2005\bin\win32;=]

This step or the information it provides to you, may be helpful later during the LyX installation.

The TeXLive UG which is _now_ (Nov05) online is for 2004, so don't use it,
no Windows installer.
The TexLive User Guide 2005 (=live.pdf) CD, gives an explanation 
of how to add directories to the Path in Chapter 7, section 7.11.5 
I think it is easier to follow the Windows instrctions which can be found by clicking on %menu%Start->Help and Support (Center)->%% and entering "edit environment" in the Search window pane then <enter> Choose #5, "Add or change the values of environmental variables" 
click on it, and follow the instructions which then display on the 
right side of the window.

Part of your Windows Path will look like this after a successful install of this non-recommended choice (shows the other complementary programs too).

 [=    C:\Texlive2005\bin\win32;C:\Perl\bin;C:\LyX\bin;C:\Python24;
     C:\gs8.51\gs8.51\bin;C:\ImageMagick;
     C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat7\Acrobat;
     C:\Program Files\Ghostgum\gsview; =]

Note that all of this is entered/written as a single line. 

GSview is optional and you may have instead of Acrobat Writer its 
free cousin, Acrobat Reader; so
 [=	C:\reader7\Reader\AcroRd32.exe;=]

For a Miktex install (latex.exe) the Path is

	C:\texmf\miktex\bin;

One will see a similar path, perhaps not in the same order when 
LyX has finished installing after processing other apps, which shows under: %menu%LyX->Edit->Preferences->Paths->PATH prefix%% 

It is good practice for LyX and its associated programs to be included in the Windows Path statement, whichever Latex distro 
you are using. Choosing directories without spaces in them like

 [=	C:\LyX   =]

rather than

 [=	C:\Program files\LyX =]

is probably still the safer practice.


----
New stuff here...

!! What is [=TeX/LaTeX=]?

[=TeX=] is actually a language to typeset books. It was created by Donald E. Knuth, a mathematician and computer scientist, who developed the [=TeX=]
typesetting system "for the creation of beautiful books &mdash; and
especially for books that contain a lot of mathematics."

Leslie Lamport later created LaTeX as a structured, high-level interface to
[=TeX=]. Technically, LaTeX is a large macro package that loads on top of
[=TeX=].

LyX uses LaTeX (and [=TeX=]) as a backend in order to typeset documents, so in a
sense we can think of LyX as an ever higher-level interface...



!! Links

''This sections needs links to the various parts mentioned above''

To create a link... use the following markup (examplified by pointing to LyX):

 [=	[[http:www.lyx.org LyX website]] =]
	

* [[FAQ/{{LaTeX}} What is LaTeX]]
* Miktex
* ProTeXt
* XemTeX
* TexLive2005
** Tex Live User Guide 2005