TeX and Other Selected Windows Freeware: Introduction, Utilities, TeX, Editors, Internet

  Introduction: freeware sources, space used, what's new

Tex and Other Free Windows
Software for Mathematicians


Introduction

Most of the software described below will run on Windows XP. The programs whose titles are in BOLDFACE are available to members of our department on a CD-ROM. You may find some of the disk and file utilities useful for installing the programs. Intermediate and advanced users may want to go straight to the TeX programs, but there's plenty of other stuff here too, and for beginners there are even some tips on installing and using Windows software in general.

To avoid legal complications and server overload I am not copying the entire CD onto the web. See http://www.math.vanderbilt.edu/~schectex/wincd/ for the latest version; for date of the version you're now reading, see below. This set of web pages is a description of free software, links for downloading it, and in some cases tips for the installation and use of the software. The software was selected for the Vanderbilt University Department of Mathematics by Eric Schechter, because it may be useful to mathematicians, but some of the software may be of interest to anyone. Please address any questions or suggestions to Eric Schechter.

I am no longer able to keep up with what will run on older versions of Windowws and I have not yet investigated what will run on the newer Windows Vista. Sorry, I have just barely glanced at what will work under Macintosh or other forms of Unix or Linux, because I don't have time to familiarize myself with a computer that I don't use.

DISCLAIMER. This software is distributed without warranty; you use it at your own risk. I get this software from sources that I believe to be reliable, and use much of this software regularly, but some of it I have used very little or not at all. The needs of mathematicians vary, and I'm just guessing about the needs of mathematicians other than myself. Your mileage may vary; backup your crucial files before installing anything.


Some good freeware sources


How much space do files take?

Here are some approximate sizes, just for comparison. The archive file for installing a program may be anywhere from 0.1 mb to 250 mb.


What's new on the CD

This lists both additions and updates, for the last year. If anything has been updated more than once, only the most recent update is mentioned on this list. And I generally don't include betas in this collection.