Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Complete LATEX environment on a USB stick
13:18
1. What is it for?
Install a LATEX distribution, Ghostscript, Ghostview software, install a text editor, configure it all … These instructions can be a problem for newbies who then feel lost and discouraged before even starting to discover LATEX.
For other LATEX users, it is frustrating to work on a computer where no LATEX environment is (or perhaps can be) installed.
See also
* This article (in French) about USBTEX on the Framasoft.net website.
* The pack Framakey “LaTeX edition” inspired from USBTeX that provides several softwares and additive documents.
2. USBTEX: LATEX portable environnment
It contains LATEX, Ghostscript, Ghostview and Texmaker, in a portable setup. To make it work:
1. Download and unzip the distribution on a USB stick (or on your hard disk)
2. Run the program — no configuration needed
3. Write and compile your documents!
Admin rights are not required so the software can be run in a normal user Windows session.
3. Download (Version 1.1 updated on 27.11.2008)
Download the USBTEX archive (about 186Mo unzipped):
The self-extracting archive USBTeX.exe (40Mo) (1022 downloads since 05/23/07)
USBTEX gives you:
* MiKTeX 2.7 portable version
* Ghostscript 8.53
* Ghostview 4.7
* SumatraPDF 0.9.3-fr
* Texmaker 1.8
4. Using USBTEX
After downloading, uncompress the archive. The program asks you where you wish to place the folder, choose, for instance, your USB stick. Be patient, it can take several minutes.
Now go to the uncompressed folder.
1. Demarrer: double-click on Demarrer (Start). It will build the paths needed for the software to work.
2. TexMaker: while commnds are executing, double-click on TexMaker and start writing your LATEX document or open the example file located in the Documents folder.
When Demarrer has finished, you can compile your document clicking on the QuickBuild (Compilation rapide) button:
3. Arreter: at the end of your work session, close Texmaker and double-click on Arreter(Stop). You can now unmount your USB stick.
To make it work well, it is important to have a good USB stick, meaning high speed. A lot of data will be read and written to the stick while the software executes. A stick and a computer that are USB-2.0 compliant are highly recommended. For instance, I use Kingston DataTraveler and USBTEX starts in less than 1 min.
5. Add a package
Since 0.9.4 version, MiKTeX_Options works. Start it then click on the tab Packages. Choose your package, install it (clicking on +) and in the tab Général, click on Refresh FNDB, then Update Formats. There you are, your new package is ready to use.
6. How does it work?
MiKTeX can be built as a portable distrinution following the instructions of this HOWTO, which is how I made USBTEX:
http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/MiKTeX+Ghostscript+GSview+USB-drive-HOWTO.txt
7. License
The USBTEX-specific work in the distribution downloadable on this page is placed under GPL license.
The author has no responsibility in case of any problems or damage caused by the use of this distribution.
8. Archives
You will find USBTEX versions on this page.
Source: ExOmatiK.net
Install a LATEX distribution, Ghostscript, Ghostview software, install a text editor, configure it all … These instructions can be a problem for newbies who then feel lost and discouraged before even starting to discover LATEX.
For other LATEX users, it is frustrating to work on a computer where no LATEX environment is (or perhaps can be) installed.
See also
* This article (in French) about USBTEX on the Framasoft.net website.
* The pack Framakey “LaTeX edition” inspired from USBTeX that provides several softwares and additive documents.
2. USBTEX: LATEX portable environnment
It contains LATEX, Ghostscript, Ghostview and Texmaker, in a portable setup. To make it work:
1. Download and unzip the distribution on a USB stick (or on your hard disk)
2. Run the program — no configuration needed
3. Write and compile your documents!
Admin rights are not required so the software can be run in a normal user Windows session.
3. Download (Version 1.1 updated on 27.11.2008)
Download the USBTEX archive (about 186Mo unzipped):
The self-extracting archive USBTeX.exe (40Mo) (1022 downloads since 05/23/07)
USBTEX gives you:
* MiKTeX 2.7 portable version
* Ghostscript 8.53
* Ghostview 4.7
* SumatraPDF 0.9.3-fr
* Texmaker 1.8
4. Using USBTEX
After downloading, uncompress the archive. The program asks you where you wish to place the folder, choose, for instance, your USB stick. Be patient, it can take several minutes.
Now go to the uncompressed folder.
1. Demarrer: double-click on Demarrer (Start). It will build the paths needed for the software to work.
2. TexMaker: while commnds are executing, double-click on TexMaker and start writing your LATEX document or open the example file located in the Documents folder.
When Demarrer has finished, you can compile your document clicking on the QuickBuild (Compilation rapide) button:
3. Arreter: at the end of your work session, close Texmaker and double-click on Arreter(Stop). You can now unmount your USB stick.
To make it work well, it is important to have a good USB stick, meaning high speed. A lot of data will be read and written to the stick while the software executes. A stick and a computer that are USB-2.0 compliant are highly recommended. For instance, I use Kingston DataTraveler and USBTEX starts in less than 1 min.
5. Add a package
Since 0.9.4 version, MiKTeX_Options works. Start it then click on the tab Packages. Choose your package, install it (clicking on +) and in the tab Général, click on Refresh FNDB, then Update Formats. There you are, your new package is ready to use.
6. How does it work?
MiKTeX can be built as a portable distrinution following the instructions of this HOWTO, which is how I made USBTEX:
http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/MiKTeX+Ghostscript+GSview+USB-drive-HOWTO.txt
7. License
The USBTEX-specific work in the distribution downloadable on this page is placed under GPL license.
The author has no responsibility in case of any problems or damage caused by the use of this distribution.
8. Archives
You will find USBTEX versions on this page.
Source: ExOmatiK.net
The Geometer's Sketchpad® Version 5
13:05
Arc Tool that work with Java Sketchpad
12:39
By using this tool, you can create an arc that work with Java Sketchpad. Simply select the tool and click 3 points to finish. Also, the tool include a free point on the arc. If you want to add more free point on arc, apply this tool again to that 3 points. Bonus: This file include an another tool, name "Dashed segment". This tool create a dashed segment that work with Java Sketchpad.
Dowload here
Dowload here
The magnet tool
12:38
Before using this tool, we prepare the one free point and 3 destination points. Select the tool then click at free point and others in this order. The screen will display a new button. Click the button to active it. Drag free point to place you want.If it near to the one of 3 destinations points, it will be attracted.'
Dowload here
Dowload here
The mini coordinate system
12:28
The mini coordinate system will help you save your Sketchpad documents space, display only what you want, create more than one coordinate system and, of cause, it contains features as the full Sketchpad coordinate system.
Dowload here
Dowload here
Square to Circle and more
12:24
How can we transform a square to a circle, or a circle to a triangle? Is it exist that transformation? Using The Geometer's Sketchpad, we can morph from a triangle to a square to a circle in a quite simple way. First, we create three objects: a square, a circle and a triangle.
Choose a free point A on square using the point tool. We fix a original point from 4 vertex and name it as O. Measure the OA distance. Of cause, there is exist an one-to-one mapping that transform a point on square to a point on circle, so using this map, we can define a point B on circle that correlative with the point A on square.
Using this method, we define a point C on triangle that correlative with the point B on circle. After that, construct triangle ABC and create a free point on it. Chose this free point and the free point A on square, apply Construct | Locus. This loci will look like the square if the free point (named as "drag") is near point A, and so on.
Square to Circle to Triangle
We can change the triangle, circle and square and drag point "drag" to see how it works.
Like to get this model? Please go to Download from Top Menu.
Choose a free point A on square using the point tool. We fix a original point from 4 vertex and name it as O. Measure the OA distance. Of cause, there is exist an one-to-one mapping that transform a point on square to a point on circle, so using this map, we can define a point B on circle that correlative with the point A on square.
Using this method, we define a point C on triangle that correlative with the point B on circle. After that, construct triangle ABC and create a free point on it. Chose this free point and the free point A on square, apply Construct | Locus. This loci will look like the square if the free point (named as "drag") is near point A, and so on.
Square to Circle to Triangle
We can change the triangle, circle and square and drag point "drag" to see how it works.
Like to get this model? Please go to Download from Top Menu.
What Is Dynamic Geometry?
12:12
The term "dynamic" in mathematics refers to the ideas of motion and change. Dynamic Geometry is a new term coined in response to the new software packages such as Sketchpad and Cabri. These products act as a sort of electronic ruler and compass.
What really sets a Sketchpad sketch apart from one that you might have made on a sheet of paper with the good old tools of our high school days is not just the accuracy of the constructions. It is the fact that the software remembers relationships among the various components of a construction --- that point P is the midpoint of the segment AB, that circle (C) has center O and goes through point X etc.
So, for instance, when you construct the circumcircle of a triangle, you can move any of the vertices of the triangle and see that the circle still circumscribes the triangle. Try this by clicking on a vertex, holding down the mouse, and dragging the vertex around. Notice that you can make the center, O of the circumcircle either inside, outside, or on an edge of the triangle. Can you find a triangle where the circumcenter is at a vertex? What can you say about the triangles where the circumcenter is on one of the edges? These are the kinds of questions you can have students explore when they can see different instances of the same construction just by moving the initial objects (in this case the three vertices of the triangle).
What really sets a Sketchpad sketch apart from one that you might have made on a sheet of paper with the good old tools of our high school days is not just the accuracy of the constructions. It is the fact that the software remembers relationships among the various components of a construction --- that point P is the midpoint of the segment AB, that circle (C) has center O and goes through point X etc.
So, for instance, when you construct the circumcircle of a triangle, you can move any of the vertices of the triangle and see that the circle still circumscribes the triangle. Try this by clicking on a vertex, holding down the mouse, and dragging the vertex around. Notice that you can make the center, O of the circumcircle either inside, outside, or on an edge of the triangle. Can you find a triangle where the circumcenter is at a vertex? What can you say about the triangles where the circumcenter is on one of the edges? These are the kinds of questions you can have students explore when they can see different instances of the same construction just by moving the initial objects (in this case the three vertices of the triangle).
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