Re: Windows xp user wants to begin with context

[Tobias Burnus <tobias.burnus@physik.fu-berlin.de>]

Hello,

On Thu, Jan 22, 2004 at 08:52:44AM -0800, Wilfried Van Hirtum wrote:
> 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?
First, welcome in the club.

You need a TeX distribution. There are three possible starting points:
a) TeX Live - http://www.tug.org/texlive/
b) fpTeX    - http://www.fptex.org/
c) MikTeX   - http://www.miktex.org/

If you find someone who has a TeX Live CD it is probably the easiest
way. TeX Live is up to date and contains a few editors (if I remember
correctly). Otherwise try either fpTeX or MikTeX. (I personally like
fpTeX more, it is more similar to Unix's teTeX and part of TeX Live,
but it is really a matter of taste.)
Both MikTeX and fpTeX should contain a not-too-old version of ConTeXt.
I don't know whether you need to install PERL as well or whether it is
included with the installer of (a),(b) and/or (c). Otherwise, it is
available from http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/

Having GhostScript (a PostScript viewer) is also nice, it is available
from http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/get811.htm
and you should get GSView too.

For an editor, I remember that I used PFE back then 5 (?) years ago.
But there are probably better one available. I found this list, but I
cannot give a recommondation:
  http://home.nexgo.de/itsfd/texwin.htm

> 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.
Well, it requires you to have TeX installed, which is already a false
assumption for real beginners ;)

> I would appreciate your advise very much. 
I hope some with more recent experience in TeX on Windows will jump in.

Regards,

Tobias