<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 procede 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 supply the filename 
        as a command line argument:</para>

	<para>
	<command>gramps</command> <filename>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 the <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 its 
    Getting Started dialogs. Follow the directions guiding you through
    <guilabel>Researcher information</guilabel>, <guilabel>Numerical date 
    formats</guilabel>, <guilabel>Alternate calendar support</guilabel>,
    and <guilabel>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"/></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 not be valid. 
	</para>
	
	<para>This information can be entered at any time in the 
	<guilabel>Preferences</guilabel> dialog, 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 any
      database  to open, the following window will appear prompting you to 
      choose what database 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"/></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. If you would like to start
      creating your brand new database from scratch right away, choose new
      database. </para> 

          <note id="file-notdir-note">
               <title>Selecting file</title>
	      <para>
	      Unlike the version 1.0.X of &app;, this version does not require selecting 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> At any time, the following items are available for immediate aid
    from the <menuchoice><guimenu>Help</guimenu></menuchoice> menu: </para>
    
	<variablelist>

	<varlistentry><term>User manual</term>
	<listitem><para> Choose this item to read the text of this manual 
	in the help browser.  </para></listitem>
	</varlistentry>

	<varlistentry><term>FAQ</term>
	<listitem><para> Use this item to read Frequently Asked Questions
	about &app; in the browser. </para></listitem>
	</varlistentry>
    
	<varlistentry><term>GRAMPS home page</term>
	<listitem><para> Select this item to open home page of &app; in your
	default web browser. </para></listitem>
	</varlistentry>
    
	<varlistentry><term>GRAMPS mailing lists</term>
	<listitem><para> Choose this item to direct your web browser 
	to the &app; mailing list archives. </para></listitem>
	</varlistentry>
    
	<varlistentry><term>Report a bug</term>
	<listitem><para> Use this item to file a bug report against &app; 
	with the bug tracking system.  </para></listitem>
	</varlistentry>
    
	<varlistentry><term>Show plugin status</term>
	<listitem><para> Use 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>
