PortableLaTeX liveCD

Making things portable is very easy under Slax (see details). So I have packaged a bootable PortableLatex livecd containing Slax and a full editing/viewing/compiling environment revolving around TeX Live 2009 and JEdit.

Overview

Besides software itself, you will get a refined working environment. Over time, as soon as I needed each of them, I added many functionalities and usability features to the interface. In some detail:

• Support for multi-part tex sources (i.e. you can edit a tex file and automatically compile the main, calling one), even with respect to LaTeX forward and reverse search, see below. Many IDEs still fail at this
• Support for easy separation between source files and compiling results, ie between core stuff and garbage
• Support for smart localization of included files (this is handy if, like I do, you have common style and bilbliography in a central directory and want to use them for a particular LaTeX project)
• LaTeX forward search: jump from the source to the corresponding spot of the compiled dvi with a keystroke
• LaTeX inverse search: Ctrl-Click on the compiled dvi to get editing the corresponding source line
• AutoJump to the line containing the first compiling error
• Postscript-based LaTeX text extraction, a novel approach (wrt to detex and the likes) with very good results.
• Spell checking
• Automatic full and fresh build: in a keystroke remove all non-source files, and regenerate them fully, including index, bibliographies and the likes: the re-runs of latex are performed automatically as long as needed. This avoids wasting time at the console
• Support for Postscript and Pdf generation and viewing from interface. Pdfs are PsTricks-compliant, too
• DragMath formula editing assistant
• BibTeX source file automatic editing via JabRef
• Fast and dry compiling key, to quick-check for the absence of LaTeX errors
• Word completion and auto-completion
• TeX/LaTeX syntax coloring
• Lots of useful Jedit addons (macros and plugins): diff (compare) files, advanced text manipulation, regular expressions, character map, and many more
• BibTeX and label navigator
• LaTeX button box in case you don't remember a command
• Various LaTeX wizards for first-timers and lazy people
• Project manager
• Jedit flexibility: extend and combine available actions via simple macros (via a macro recorder) or hand-made Beanshell scripts
• Jedit extensive capabilities: split view, multiple views, code folding, hypersearch, multipaste, multiple markers, rectangular selection, checkered selection, etc...
• Since we are inside a liveCD, all the above features are devised to work out-of-the-box without any configuration step

The handiest way to take advantage of the first three features is to use the command pl, dedicated to enforce them in a very compact way. From terminal emulator write:

pl <texfile_to_edit> [<output_path/mainfile.tex>]

The second argument needs a bit of explanation, which can be skipped if not interested in those specifical features. 

It is optional, and is the key to compactly specify what needed to take advantage of both the first two features. It is a symbolic path. The directory of this path is the (existing) directory we want to compile our source to. The file of this path specifies the main tex file corresponding to the tex file we are going to edit. The latter needs not to exist, it is not a real file; it serves just to communicate to the interface what will have to be compiled. This is the reason I called it a symbolic path. Note that this scheme requires that edited and main tex files reside in the same directory, as a limitation.

Finally, the directory from within you execute pl will be added to latex search path. Typically, I execute it from the directory containing my personal style and bibliography files, so they will be automatically included in compilation from the editing interface.

So, the first three feature of the list are implemented in a very compact and nimble manner by using the launcher pl.

Note that, however, a more standard project manager, like the ones present in other LaTeX editors, is available; I just find them clumsy to use.

Instructions

N.B.: As soon as you remove the CD and power it down, your machine will get back exactly to its previous state.

Of course the medium on which you choose to burn the ISO image file can as well be a DVD±R, or a rewritable one, such as a CD-RW or a DVD±RW. 
The latter option gives you the chance to reuse it in case you don't like PortableLaTeX, or you decide to install PortableLaTeX elsewhere, which can be done via a dedicated liveCD boot entry.

Screenshot

Details

Slax is a modular operating system. It simply extends the concept of portability to the whole operating system, not just applications. Anything you need to run can be stored anywhere and mounted on-the-fly when needed. The advantages:

• You can save resources by dynamically loading/unloading applications or OS parts on demand, just when needed.
• The modules are read-only: your system gets never tampered with, unless you explicitly do so. So you can freely and fearlessly experiment, while your system ever remains exactly the way you meant it.
• Apart from device driver and (crappy) hardware related issues, you can use it on virtually any PC/AT machine, ever getting the system as you built it.
• Great flexibility: anywhere your modules are stored, you can run them.
• Download and use: the old step of installing is skipped: as soon as you have a package available (wheter you built it by yourself or found it among the already mature Slax software package communities) you can run it.
• As all writings are done to the RAM unless the user explicitly saves to mounted devices, strict separation between user data, executables, operating system core files and all the remaining unessential data is enforced, thus encouraging good habits and giving the user enhanced control over the system. This is also great for diskless subnotebooks or similar, since it reduces writing wear of solid state storing devices even when using OS settings not explicitly tailored for diskless use.