Re: Windows xp user wants to begin with context

["Christopher G. D. " Tipper <chris.tipper@tiscali.co.uk>]

Welcome to the club. I've been using ConTeXt on Windows for a few years.
I suggest using MiKTeX if you're a complete beginner. It comes with a
graphical package manager and a graphical administration tool. They say
fpTeX is closer to TeTeX, but you really don't want to be using command
line stuff on Windows, it doesn't have the features XTerm users take for
granted (such as decent histories and stuff).

You'll need ActivePerl to run texexec, which is a perl script that holds
Context together. This is pretty painless, and just sits there and does
its thing.

I can't recommend WinEdt http://www.winedt.com/ (note that is not the
same as WinEdit) highly enough, and it is easy to create toolbars and
menus to do ConText stuff. Its commercial, but reasonably priced, and
the author operates a pretty speedy turnaround on support issues.

Ghostcsript is nice to have, but Acrobat is really much more usable, and
renders better. I do use Ghostscript, but I can live without it. Mainly
comes into its own when you are operating in Postscript mode with EPS
figures and stuff. Context is perfectly capable of doing everything with
PDF, so I can't see the point. Also Acrobate sucks on Linux, so people
from that background don't know what they're missing.

Christopher



On Thu, 2004-01-22 at 16:52, Wilfried Van Hirtum wrote:
> Hi
>  
> I'm a complete ms word user who wants to convert to context to make
> his mathematical textbooks. I have windows xp on my computer, but
> nothing (really nothing like perl, editor's or distribution) else.
> What exactly have i to do make my pc work with context?
> By the way, don't say to me to read the how to install context manual
> which are not meant to read by absolute beginners. I've spent hours on
> looking around on internet, on the pragma-website, reading manuals,
> but i don't find something clear and simple what tells me exactly to
> do and in which order to let me begin working with context. There
> seems to be so many pre-knowledge about perl, command line commands,
> and so on..
> But can anybody out there please tell me how i can start from the very
> beginning.
> I would appreciate your advise very much. 
> To set it clear: i'm not a linux or unix-user, i use windowx xp.
> I really want to begin with context, but there seems to be so many
> obstacles to overwin. Many thanks in advance.
>  
> Wilfried Van Hirtum
>  
>  
> 
> 
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