gramps/manual/C/getstart.xml

<chapter id="gramps-getting-started"> 

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	  User Manual for Gramps - a GTK+/GNOME based genealogy program

	  Copyright (C) 2003-2005  Alexander Roitman

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<!-- $Id$ -->

  <title>Getting Started</title> 
    
  <para>
    This chapter provides the most basic information on starting
    &app; and obtaining help. Please proceed to the following
    chapters for more information.
  </para>

<!-- ================ Getting Started Subsection ====== -->

  <sect1 id="gramps-start">
    <title>To Start GRAMPS</title>
    <para>
      You can start &app; in the following ways:
    </para> 
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><guimenu>Applications</guimenu> menu</term>
	<listitem>
          <para>
            The method of starting &app; from the menus may vary
	    from distribution to distribution. On default GNOME
	    desktop, choose
	    <menuchoice><guisubmenu>Other</guisubmenu>
	    <guimenuitem>Gramps</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>Command line</term>
    	<listitem>
          <para>
            To start &app; from a command line, type
            <command>gramps</command>, then press
            <keycap>Enter</keycap>.
          </para>
	  <para>
            If you would like &app; to open a specific database or to
            import a specific file on startup, you can use the
            filename as a command line argument:
          </para>
	  <para>
	    <filename>gramps filename.grdb</filename>
    	  </para> 
    	  <para>
            where <filename>filename.grdb</filename> is the name of
  	    the file you want to open. The command line provides many
   	    more ways to start &app; and perform different tasks. The
  	    detailed reference to the command line options is found
  	    in <xref linkend="append-cmdline"/>.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </sect1>

<!-- ================ Getting Started Subsection ==== -->

  <sect1 id="run-1st-time">
    <title>Running GRAMPS for the first time</title>
    <para> 
      The first time you run the program, GRAMPS will display the 
      Getting Started dialogs. Follow the directions that guide you through
      <guilabel>Researcher information</guilabel>, <guilabel>Numerical date 
      formats</guilabel>, <guilabel>Alternate calendar support</guilabel>,
      and <guilabel>the LDS extensions</guilabel> sections. Most of the dialogs
      are self-explanatory and will not be covered here.
    </para>
    
<!-- ==== Figure: Getting Started Druid Window ==== -->

    <figure id="druid-fig"> 
      <title>GRAMPS Getting Started Window: Researcher Information</title> 
      <screenshot>
        <mediaobject>
          <imageobject>
            <imagedata fileref="figures/researcher.png" format="PNG" 
	               width="510" depth="369" scale="75"/>
          </imageobject>
	  <textobject> 
	    <phrase>Shows Researcher Information Window. </phrase>
	  </textobject>
        </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>

<!-- ==== End of Figure ==== -->

    <para>
      Enter your personal information in the corresponding text entry
      fields. Although &app; requests information about you, this
      information is used only so that &app; can create valid GEDCOM
      output files. A valid GEDCOM file requires information about the
      file's creator. If you choose, you may leave the information
      empty, however all the GEDCOM files you export will be invalid.
    </para>
    <para>
      This information can be entered at any time in the
      <guilabel>Preferences</guilabel> dialog (see <xref linkend="gramps-prefs" />), under the
      <guilabel>Database/Researcher Information</guilabel> category.
    </para>
  </sect1>

<!-- ================ Getting Started Subsection  -->

  <sect1 id="choose-db-start">
    <title>Choosing a database on startup</title> 
    <para>
      If &app; is started without a database selected, the following
      window will appear prompting you to choose one to open.
    </para>
      
<!-- ==== Figure: Open existing/new database window ==== -->
	
    <figure id="first-open"> 
      <title>Open Database Window</title> 
      <screenshot>
        <mediaobject>
          <imageobject>
            <imagedata fileref="figures/first-open.png" format="PNG" 
	               width="311" depth="199" scale="80"/>
          </imageobject>
	  <textobject> 
	    <phrase>Shows Open Database Window.</phrase>
	  </textobject>
        </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
 
<!-- ==== End of Figure ==== -->
      
    <para>
      If you would like to open an existing database, check the top
      radio button and click the <guibutton>OK</guibutton>
      button. You will then be asked to specify the name of your
      existing database (see <xref linkend="open-db" />). If you would like to immediately create a
      brand new database from scratch right away, choose new
      database (see <xref linkend="new-db" />).
    </para> 

    <note id="file-notdir-note">
      <title>Selecting file</title>
      <para>
        This version of &app; does not require selecting a directory
	for the database. Please select filename, as you would in any
	other application.
      </para>
    </note>

  </sect1>
      
<!-- ================ Getting Started Subsection ==== -->

  <sect1 id="get-help">
    <title>Obtaining Help</title>
    <para> 
       The following items are available from the
       <menuchoice><guimenu>Help</guimenu></menuchoice> to provide
       immediate assistance:
    </para>
    <variablelist>

      <varlistentry>
        <term>User manual</term>
	<listitem> 
          <para>
            Select this item to access this manual in the help browser.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry>
        <term>FAQ</term>
	<listitem>
          <para> 
            Select this item to read the Frequently Asked Questions about
            &app; in the browser.
          </para>
          <para>
            See: <xref linkend="faq" />
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry>
        <term>GRAMPS home page</term>
   	<listitem>
          <para> 
            Select this item to open the home page of &app; in your
	    default web browser.
          </para>
          <para>
            See: <ulink url="http://gramps-project.org/" type="http">http://gramps-project.org/</ulink>
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry> 

      <varlistentry>
        <term>GRAMPS mailing lists</term>
	<listitem>
          <para>
            Select this item to direct your web browser 
 	    to the &app; mailing list archives.
          </para>
          <para>
            See: <ulink url="http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=25770" type="http">http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=25770</ulink>
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Report a bug</term>
	<listitem>
          <para> 
            Select this item to file a bug report regarding &app; 
	    with the bug tracking system.
          </para>
          <para>
            See: <ulink url="http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=25770&amp;atid=385137" type="http">http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=25770&amp;atid=385137</ulink>
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Show plugin status</term>
	<listitem>
          <para> 
            Select this item to display the status of loaded plugins. 
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Open example database</term>
	<listitem>
          <para> 
            Select this item to load the example database shipped
	    with &app;. This database is composed of fictitious
	    people and serves as a useful example for learning how
	    to work with &app;.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </sect1>
</chapter>