LTEX and Beamer: Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft O ce For ...

LATEX and Beamer: Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office For Documents and Presentations

--or-- Why Keep Payin' 'da Man When You Can Do Better?

Mark R. Galvin K Nelson

Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics Oregon State University

13 November 2008

Mark R. Galvin/K Nelson

LATEX and Beamer

What's This All About?

Objective is to answer the following questions:

What is Free/Open Source Software?

What the heck are TEX and LATEX? Who uses LATEX? Why would I use LATEX? Why wouldn't I use LATEX? How do I get LATEX? How do I use LATEX?

A Note on Beamer:

Beamer is one of several available presentation making packages that use the LATEX markup format and the TEX engine to produce beautiful presentations (like this one) in PDF format. Beamer won't explicitly be discussed.

Mark R. Galvin/K Nelson

LATEX and Beamer

Free/Open Source Software

. . . think free speech, not free beer

What is F/OSS?

Free/open source software (F/OSS) is software for which the human-readable source code is made available to the user of the software, who can then modify the code in order to fit the software to the user's needs. The source code is the set of written instructions that define a program in its original form, and when it's made fully accessible programmers can read it, modify it, and redistribute it, thereby improving and adapting the software. In this manner the software evolves at a rate unmatched by traditional proprietary software.

Where is it? Hiding on the internet. If Google doesn't find it, try the Free Software Foundation, , University Media Labs, Government Laboratories, User Groups, etc.

Mark R. Galvin/K Nelson

LATEX and Beamer

Why Use F/OSS?

You can usually get a commercial product for your need Way more features than you need Freeware and shareware usually come with baggage You can't afford custom software

but with F/OSS . . . An equivalent to most every major software package exists, pre-compiled and ready to use No proprietary issues, high degree of compatibility among F/OSS packages Most "established" packages have user groups willing to help you understand how to use or modify the software It's always free, and usually doesn't cost anything either

Mark R. Galvin/K Nelson

LATEX and Beamer

The Drawbacks

F/OSS is great, but sometimes it isn't that great Usually less polished than commercial software Every user is expected to be a beta tester May not (yet) be optimized for speed Sometimes limited (or no) documentation Few F/OSS packages are standards Compatibility with commercial software may lag one or more generations behind

Remember, this software is mostly written by computer nerds in their free time. Your expectations should be proportional to the price you paid. In many ways, getting F/OSS is like dumpster diving for furniture. You might need to clean it up, but once you do everyone thinks you inherited a family heirloom.

Mark R. Galvin/K Nelson

LATEX and Beamer

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