Installing MiKTeX on Pop! OS 20.10: A Comprehensive Guide

LaTeX is a document preparation system that is widely used for academic and technical documents due to its robust engine for typesetting. MiKTeX is one of the foremost distributions of the LaTeX compiler for Windows, and it can be installed on Linux distributions such as Pop! OS 20.10. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up MiKTeX on your Pop! OS system.

Prerequisites

To follow this guide, you will need to have Pop! OS 20.10 installed on your computer. It's recommended to update your system before proceeding with the installation process.

Installing the GPG Key for Dependencies

Before you can add the MiKTeX repository and install it, you need to add the GPG key for the repository. This ensures that the package and its dependencies are verified and secure. Open the terminal and execute the following command:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver --recv-keys D6BC243565B2087BC3F897C9277A7293F59E4889

This command retrieves the GPG key from the keyserver and adds it to your system's keyring.

Adding the MiKTeX Repository

To add the MiKTeX repository, you need to echo some specific lines into your system's sources list. This can be done by executing the following command:

echo 'deb all/' | sudo tee

The above command adds the MiKTeX repository to the APT sources list. The repository is hosted on a CogentCo mirror, which is used in this example. You can also use other mirrors by replacing the URL with the desired one.

Updating Package Cache and Installing MiKTeX

After adding the repository, you should update your package cache so that APT is aware of the new package. Use the following command:

sudo apt-get update

This command fetches the latest package information from the repositories configured in your system. Now, you can install MiKTeX using the following command:

sudo apt-get install miktex

The installation process will handle the dependencies required for MiKTeX and install it on your system. Once the installation is complete, you will have access to the MiKTeX binaries and configuration files, which will be available in the standard binary directories. You can verify the installation using the command:

pdflatex -v

This command should return the version of the MiKTeX distribution that was installed on your system.

Conclusion

Following this guide, you have successfully installed MiKTeX on your Pop! OS 20.10. With this powerful LaTeX distribution, you can now start writing and compiling your academic or technical documents with ease. Remember to contribute to the community and stay updated with the latest versions.

Keywords

MiKTeX installation, Pop! OS 20.10, LaTeX distribution