LaTeX problem

Flamed Diving

Hi, I am currently attempting to teach myself this thing, using the guide on WikiBooks. However, I'm barely into the beginners guide and I'm already running into trouble. Follow this link:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX/Absolute_Beginners#A_Typical_Command_Line_Session

and below see the heading 'Generating the document'. Where they say:


1) Type the command: latex hello (the .tex extension is not required, although you can include it if you wish)

2) Various bits of info about LaTeX and its progress will be displayed

part 2) doesn't happen for me. I tried various different combinations, but nothing works.

Any ideas?

Time Magazine

(You could just wait a couple of weeks until there's a seminar in Geary to get you started...)

What operating system do you have and what version of TeX do you have installed?

What output does the command line give you?

Flamed Diving

Changed again, you crafty devil...

Hmm, sounds good. I will keep my ear out for it.

I have Windows Vista Home Premium and I installed this one:

http://www.tug.org/protext/

I get no output at all from the command.

Time Magazine

Okay.

1. Create a file named hello.tex and place it in C:\docs (or whichever folder you want)

2. Start > Run > cmd. Opens the command window.

3. In the command window, type cd c:\docs. Changes directory.

4. In the command window, type latex hello. Compiles the hello.tex file.

5. Paste whatever output you get here plz.

Flamed Diving

Ah, they meant windows cmd? I didn't realise that. I thought they were still issuing commands within LaTeX. Anyway, a whole load of stuff came up and the last two lines were as described in the manual. Hopefully I will be ok from here in.

Thanks for that.

Time Magazine

That process is a bit cumbersome though. ProTeXt comes with TeXnicCenter which I presume has a "Compile" button to automate the process. In fact I think F7 does it.

Flamed Diving

That there is. I was wondering why command line was being used for tasks like that.

Perhaps you should be giving these seminars!

Time Magazine

They couldn't afford me.