General ⇒ TeXnic Center and MikTeX 2.4, MikTeX 2.5

[ukasper]

Dear users,

is it possible to have both MikTeX 2.4 and MikTeX 2.5 working together with TeXnic Center on one and the same PC? If so, what have I to do to install this combination?

Best regards,
U. Kasper

[Ward]

It's possible.

Got to build->define output profiles. You'll see all your (possibly automatically created) output profiles. Copy the relevant profile (select target profile and press 'copy button' at the bottom of the list) and give the new profile an useful name.

Now the slightly tedious part. Look in the settings of your new profile for entries like 'Path to the (La)Tex compiler'. All program names point at a MikTeX executable. Change all paths that point at MikTeX 2.4 executables to the corresponding paths of the MikTeX 2.5 distribution (Assuming that your MikTeX 2.4 is installed in c:\miktex24 and MikTex 2.5 in c:\miktex25, change the 24 to 25). Do not forget to update the paths on the Postprocessor tab and Viewer tab!!!

Now if you want compile, postprocess and view your document with MikTeX 2.4, use your old profile. If you want to compile, postprocess and view your document with MikTeX 2.5, use your newly created profile.

Succes

P.S. if this does not work, no problem. You probably made a typo somewhere and you always have your unchanged and working old profile.

[ukasper]

In principle, I think you are right. But, as far as I can see, the difference of the directory structure between the two versions of MiKTeX is more comprehensive as you mentioned. For example, in MiKTeX 2.4 I have the texmf and localtexmf directories first while in MiKTeX 2.5 they are not present. So, all is more tedious. Or is there another way?

Thank you and best regards,
U. Kasper

[Kris]

Hi,

As far as I know, MiKTeX 2.4 and 2.5 manage their directories for themselves...
so it's not a TexnicCenter problem...

Sure, if You install MiKTeX 2.4 from scratch, it will set up a c:\localtexmf
(which is for Your 'private' packages) and c:\texmf (which is the actual installation path)
- but if You want both working side by side, just install MiKTeX 2.5 and do the copy solution
from Ward... (with adjusting the paths to the MiKTeX 2.5 directory)

Regards
Kris

[Ward]

Kris is right. TeXnicCenter has nothing to do with MikTeX. During installation or if run for the first time TeXnicCenter just looks for a TeX installation and if it finds MikTeX it will create the correct output profiles. A direct implication is that you cannot destroy your MikTeX distribution by changing settings in TeXnicCenter.

All TeXnicCenter output profiles use only the TeX-binaries/executables in the <path to MikTeX>\MikTeX\Bin directory. If you install 2.4 with the default options, it will install the binaries in c:\texmf\miktex\miktex\bin. If you install 2.5 with the default options it will install the binaries in c:\program files\miktex\miktex\bin (If I remember correcly, haven't installed it in the default dir). MikTeX 2.4 creates the localtex tree for private packages as was traditional in other TeX distributions. MikTeX 2.5 creates user-specific trees under <userprofile>\application data\MikTeX (and some others for administrators, not relevant since there are/should be no binaries in there, only TeX-packages).