Editing MiKTeX (section)

{{Short description|Cross-platform TeX/LaTeX distribution}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=January 2017}}
{{Primary sources|date=January 2017}}}}
{{Infobox software
| name = MiKTeX
| screenshot = 
| caption = TeX/LaTeX distribution for Windows
| developer = Christian Schenk
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]]
| latest_release_version = 25.4
| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2025|04|28}}
| latest preview version = 
| latest preview date = 
| operating_system = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Linux]], [[macOS]]
| size = 138.07&nbsp;MB (Windows)
| genre = [[TeX]], [[LaTeX]]
| license = "several free"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://miktex.org/copying|title=Redistributing MiKTeX|website=Miktex.org|accessdate=2017-01-19}}</ref>
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}

'''MiKTeX''' is a free and open-source distribution of the [[TeX]]/[[LaTeX]] [[typesetting]] system compatible with Linux, MacOS, and Windows.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://miktex.org/download|title=Getting MiKTeX - MiKTeX.org|website=miktex.org|access-date=2019-07-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Choosing a LaTeX Compiler |url=https://www.overleaf.com/learn/latex/Choosing_a_LaTeX_Compiler#TeX_distributions |access-date=June 11, 2021 |website=Overleaf}}</ref> It also contains a set of related programs. MiKTeX provides the tools necessary to prepare documents using the TeX/LaTeX [[markup language]], as well as a simple TeX editor, [[TeXworks]]. The name comes from the login credentials of the chief developer Christian Schenk, MiK for Micro-Kid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=4D24810C.2010300%40gmail.com&forum_name=miktex-users |title=MiKTeX / Mailing Lists |website=Sourceforge.net |date= |accessdate=2017-01-19}}</ref>

MiKTeX can update itself by downloading new versions of previously installed components and packages, and has an easy installation process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://miktex.org/about|title=About MiKTeX - MiKTeX.org|website=miktex.org|access-date=2019-07-21}}</ref> By default, MiKTeX installs only a minimal set of packages (according to the philosophy of "just enough TeX"), which is useful in case of the limited space. It will then ask users whether they wish to download any packages that have not yet been installed but are required to render the current document.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://mail.tug.org/TUGboat/tb33-1/tb103wright.pdf |title=TEX on Windows: MiKTEX or TEX Live? |journal=TUGboat |first=Joseph |last=Wright |year=2012 |volume=33 |issue=1 |access-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112225754/http://mail.tug.org/TUGboat/tb33-1/tb103wright.pdf |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> A [[Portable application|portable]] version of MiKTeX, as well as a command-line installer of it, are also available.<ref name=":0" />

The latest version of MiKTeX is available at the MiKTeX homepage. In June 2020, Schenk decided to change the numbering convention; the new one is based on the release date. Thus 20.6 was released in June 2020. Since version 2.7, MiKTeX has support for [[XeTeX]], [[MetaPost]] and [[pdfTeX]] and compatibility with [[Windows 7]]. Support for 32-bit computers was dropped in 2022 and for Windows 7 in 2023.