TeX and LaTeX Web Links
TeX and LaTeX Web Links
CTAN is the most complete and up-to-date source of TeX-related software. CTAN provides a TeX starter page at
Available at CTAN is a nice free 104 page booklet (80 pages of text), The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX 2e, Or LaTeX 2e in 90 minutes, by Tobias Oetiker, Hubert Partl, Irene Hyna and Elisabeth Schlegl. This booklet is provided as a PDF file and is close to 1 MB in size. Since it does not seem to display progressively as your browser is fetching it, you may find it more convenient to download a personal copy to view offline with Acrobat Reader. Note the table of contents consists of live links to the text, a benefit you loose if you print it out. So save the paper!
Also available is the ancient, but still very useful, 97 page manual, A Gentle Introduction to TeX, by Michael Doob. It is a 427 KB PDF file. As above, you may find it convenient to download a personal copy. The table of contents is not live, unfortunately, but this manual is a good reference.
The TeX Users Group (TUG) was founded in 1980 for users of TeX and Metafont. TUG publishes the quarterly TUGboat.
A useful list of TeX related links provided by TUG.
The AMS provides many macro files and fonts useful for producing mathematical documents. Most of this material however is included with modern distributions of TeX and LaTeX. Occasionally though you may need a file from this site.
The TeX Cookbook is a collection of tables showing how to obtain various special symbols and spacing. It is quite useful though after a while most of them will be familiar.
This cookbook (in German) has a built in "kitchen." That is, you can try various LaTeX constructions and compile them in the edit window provided in "die Küche." Very cool!
This site is maintained in English only now - the French and German versions may not be up to date. Most TeX sites are totally free but this site humerously requests a small contribution -- If you appreciate the services provided to you by this web site, you can say thank you by sending a sample bottle of some alcohol or chocolate typical for the place where you live ..... Unfortunately various import and customs restrictions may may it difficult or impossible to comply! This site provides considerable LaTeX documentation.
Here is the web version of the UK TeX Users Group TeX Frequently Asked Questions list (FAQ). This FAQ has a searchable index and a substantial amount of information.
Last updated
Thursday, April 10, 2003
Bent E. Petersen
petersen@math.oregonstate.edu