[Novalug] Looking for linux equivalent of Microsoft Publisher

[Kevin Cole]

Any Lout users out there?

My guess is that Scribus is the closest match to MS Publisher, which is not
an endorsement for either one of them (nor a slam).  But if you'd prefer to
be typesetting immediately rather than learning the correct pronunciation
of and proper way to write "TeX", "LaTeX", etc, Lout may be worth a look.

Alan McConnell wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 02, 2006 at 09:35:47PM -0500, Art Chimes wrote:
>> I have used neither Scribus nor TeX, both of which are said to be powerful 
>> programs with legions of fans.
> 	In re TeX: rue fact.  And I have been one of those fans since 
> 	1989, and use TeX almost any time that I have occasion to 
> 	print _anything_.

What were you using before 1989 and what sorts of alternatives have you
looked at since then?

> Remarks about TeX:
> 1.  TeX has been around for aeons(in computer time<g>).  It is robust, it
> is incredibly powerful, and is the underlying engine for lots of other
> programs built on top of it; think LaTeX, think LilyPond.

FORTRAN's been around a long time too... ;-) That doesn't mean I'd use
it for EVERYTHING (though I still occasionally find use for it).  And
even if some people have replaced their kernel and everything else
with emacs, it's not necessarily a great fit for every task.

> 2.  It is free, and runs on all systems that I know about, including
> all Unices; I know it runs on Macs, and I think it runs on Windoze too.

I think I had Lout running on a windoze box at one time, and given the
*nix underpinnings of OS X, I suspect it would work there as well.  While
it may not do everything quite the way TeX does, it is of the family of
typesetting programs that you "script" in the editor of your choice.
Templates, etc.  A less steep learning curve than even LaTeX, as I recall.

-- 
 Kevin Cole                    |  Key ID: 0xE6F332C7
 Ubuntu Linux DC LoCo Team     |     WWW: http://wiki.ubuntu.com/KevinCole
 Washington, D.C.  (USA)       |   Phone: +1.202.234.0213

 "Using vi is not a sin. It's a penance." -- St. IGNUcious, Church of Emacs