MiKTeX

MiKTeX is both a C/C++ implemenentation of TeX & Friends and a TeX distribution.

You can find more information here:

• https://miktex.org
• https://miktex.org/howto/build-win
• https://miktex.org/howto/build-unx

What you will find here

This readme file is located in the top-level directory of the the MiKTeX source code tree. You use the source code to build and install a minimal TeX system. MiKTeX provides an integrated package manager, i.e., this minimal TeX system can serve as a starting point for a much larger (complete) TeX system.

Prerequisites

• C++ compiler

  You will need a modern C/C++ compiler. The minimum required standard version is C++14.

• CMake

  MiKTeX is built by using CMake, which will create Makefiles suited for your local system.

• Various build utilities

  You will need utilities like Bison, Flex, etc. Please see the top-level CMakeLists.txt.

• Libraries

  On Unix-alike platforms, you will need development packages (header files) for a handful of popular libraries. Please see the top-level CMakeLists.txt for more information.

Running CMake

It is recommended that you build outside the source code directory. For a server (non-UI) build, run this:

cmake -DWITH_UI_QT=OFF ../source

If you are doing an out-of-source build, then you have to specify the path to the MiKTeX source code directory (../source in the example above).

CMake for Windows may require a generator specification. If you want to generate Makefiles for nmake, run this:

cmake -G "NMake Makefiles" ../source

Building MiKTeX

Run the make utility to build MiKTeX, for example:

make

or, if you build on Windows:

nmake

Installing

CMake creates a standard install target which you can use to install everything in the standard location. On Linux, you run

sudo make install

This will install MiKTeX in the /usr/local-prefixed directory tree.

First steps

Initialize the package database

MiKTeX has the ability to install missing packages "on-the-fly". The package database must be initialized for this to work:

sudo mpm --admin --update-db

In order to enable the automatic package installer, run:

sudo initexmf --admin --set-config-value [MPM]AutoInstall=1

Symbolic links

Some MiKTeX binaries are prefixed with miktex- in order to allow a peaceful coexistence with another TeX distribution. For example, the pdfTeX binary is named miktex-pdftex. You can create symbolic links targetting the miktex- prefixed binaries:

sudo initexmf --admin --force --mklinks

After running this command, the pdfTeX engine can be invoked via pdftex.

Installing packages

You use the MiKTeX packagement utility to install some required packages:

sudo mpm --admin --install amsfonts
sudo mpm --admin --install cm
sudo mpm --admin --install ltxbase
sudo mpm --admin --install miktex-misc
sudo mpm --admin --install miktex-pdftex

Run this, to create font/language configuration files used by the TeX engines:

sudo initexmf --admin --mkmaps --mklinks

Running (pdf)latex for the first time

You can now test your installation by running

pdflatex sample2e