MiKTeX and proTeXt ⇒ LyX in the portable MikTeX distribution

[mark.farnell]

A majority of people using Windows are not familiar with LaTeX syntax, or even using the Terminal, so asking them to use non WYSIWIG environment is out of question. And asking users to tweak directories every time when they change machine (because the USB stick can be assigned to different drive letters) is also out of question. Also many of them need to work on Windows machine (often only installed with M$ Word) which they don't have admin access to.

LyX provides a WYSIWIG frontend for LaTeX, allowing users not familiar with LaTeX to get the advantage of LaTeX without having to learn the language.
To make LaTeX / LyX attractive to the general public, we really need to bundle LyX with LaTeX so that they can be used outright without installation, or directory tweaking. LyX will only take under 20MB, so the resultant MikTeX should be under 130MB, which is not a lot.

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi Mark,

perhaps post this request to the MiKTeX developer blog.

Stefan

[frabjous]

1. LyX is WYSIWYM, not WYSIWYG. It isn't even close to WYSIWYG.
2. “A majority of people using Windows are not familiar with LaTeX syntax, or even using the Terminal, so asking them to use non WYSIWIG environment is out of question.” Compare: most people who have never driven a car don’t know how to drive, so asking them to learn how is out of the question!

Don’t get me wrong: LyX has its advantages, but I wouldn’t want to encourage people to think that it is the only, or the best, or the “official” way of producing LaTeX output. It would be nice if there were a way of adding LyX as an optional component of certain portable LaTeX distributions, but I definitely don’t think it should be mandatory.

[localghost]

A majority of people using Windows are not familiar with LaTeX syntax, or even using the Terminal, so asking them to use non WYSIWIG environment is out of question. [...]

What makes you assume that these people represent a majority? From those people I know who are working with LaTeX there are about 5-10 percent using LyX. And you nearly get the same spread when looking at the members of this board. With the terminal you might be right. But I think that sometimes using a command prompt is among those basics people should master when working with their machines. On the other hand people who use LyX wouldn't do so if they didn't like to shove their mouse instead of typing their documents in a markup language within an editor.

By the way, frabjous has given you an answer in a related topic [1]. If not done yet, you should read it and say if it was helpful or not (and act according to the Board Rules).

[1] View topic: Portable LyX that runs with portable MikTeX?


Best regards
Thorsten

[frabjous]

By the way, frabjous has given you an answer in a related topic [1]. If not done yet, you should read it and say if it was helpful or not (and act according to the Board Rules).

[1] View topic: Portable LyX that runs with portable MikTeX?

Wasn't me, but meho_r. Still, he should be answered.

[brokenclock]

Hi,

I've recently published Portable Lyx 2.0 on http://portable-lyx.impossible-exil.info. You may want to give it a try.

Best regards,

BrokenClock