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\title{Availability of \LaTeX{} systems}
\addcontentsline{toc}{subsection}{Availability of \LaTeX{} systems}
\author{}\date{}\maketitle
The traditional \TeX{} implementation is a Command-Line Interface&nbsp;(\textsc{cli})\index{CLI@\textsc{cli}|textbf}\index{\textbf{Acronyms}, defined!CLI@\textsc{cli}|textbf}, that is, a
	  `console' program which you run from
	  a Unix or Mac shell window or an MS-DOS command window by
	  typing the command \verb+tex+ or
	  \verb+latex+ followed by the name of your
	  document file. In automated (unattended) systems, 
	  this command is issued from within a Unix shell script or
	  MS-DOS/Windows batch file. All the popular distributions for
	  Unix and MS-DOS/Windows, both free and commercial, deliver
	  this interface as standard (te\TeX{}, fp\TeX{}, MiK\TeX{},
	  PC-\TeX{}, Turbo\TeX{}, etc).

While it is quite possible to run \TeX{} and \LaTeX{} this
	  way, it is more normal to use an editor as your interface to
	  the program as well as to your document. This allows you to
	  control \LaTeX{}, the typeset display, and other related
	  programs with a mouse-click or menu item. This is the method
	  assumed in this booklet. In both the editors used for
	  examples (\product{Emacs} and
	  \product{WinEdt}) the typesetting process
	  is logged visibly in an adjoining text window so that you
	  can see the progress of pages being typeset, and any error
	  messages that may occur.\footnote{Some recent versions of
	      \product{Emacs} hide this window by
	      default but it is easily revealed.} This method is called
	  \textbf{\textit{asynchronous}}\index{asynchronous@\textbf{\textit{asynchronous}}}
	  because the typeset display only updates
	  \emph{after} you have typed the text and
	  processed it, not \emph{while} you type
	  it.

\label{synchro}%
Some commercial implementations of \TeX{}
	  offer a \textbf{\textit{synchronous}}\index{synchronous@\textbf{\textit{synchronous}}}
	  typographic interface: \product{Textures}
	  for the Apple Macintosh from Blue Sky Research,
	  \product{Scientific Word} from MacKichan
	  Software, and \product{V\TeX{}} from
	  MicroPress, Inc (both for Microsoft Windows) are three examples.
	  At least one free version for Linux and MS-Windows
	  (\product{Lyx}) offers the same kind of
	  interface. In these, you type directly into the typographic
	  display, as with a graphical wordprocessor, using the font
	  controls of whatever Graphical User
	    Interface&nbsp;(\textsc{gui})\index{GUI@\textsc{gui}|textbf}\index{\textbf{Acronyms}, defined!GUI@\textsc{gui}|textbf} are appropriate.

With a synchronous display you get your instant textual
	  gratification, but for complete control of the formatting
	  you still need access to the \LaTeX{} language. There are
	  several methods available free for Unix and some other
	  systems for close-to-synchronous updates of the typeset
	  display (such as Jonathan Fine's \product{Instant
	    Preview} and the \TeX{} daemon), and for
	  embedding typographic fragments from the typeset display
	  back into the editor window (David Kastrup's
	  \package{preview-latex} package).

Whatever method you choose, the \TeX{} Live CD-ROMs and
	  the \textsc{ctan}\index{CTAN@\textsc{ctan}} are not the only source
	  of software. The following vendors offer robust commercial
	  implementations of \TeX{} and \LaTeX{}, and if you are in a
	  position where their enhanced support and additional
	  features are of benefit, I urge you to support them. In most
	  cases their companies, founders, and staff have been good
	  friends of the \TeX{} and \LaTeX{} communities for many
	  years.
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