I am a newcomer to openSUSE 11.0 with the Gnome Desktop. I am having trouble finding the manual, “HowTo” and “FAQ” files. I think they are there but don’t know how to search for specific answers. I just seem to have to stumble across them.
For example, I have been looking for Tomboy Notes documentation for days since it installed during setup and the icon keeps just being there. The Tomboy “?Help” button gives incomplete information and was no help at all.
Then I was searching for backup help and found the Tomboy Notes manual by accident. Now I can actually use it.
Surely there is a better way to find stuff. Would someone be kind enough to point me in the right direction?
TwoHoot wrote:
> I am a newcomer to openSUSE 11.0 with the Gnome Desktop. I am having
> trouble finding the manual, “HowTo” and “FAQ” files. I think they are
> there but don’t know how to search for specific answers. I just seem to
> have to stumble across them.
>
> For example, I have been looking for Tomboy Notes documentation for
> days since it installed during setup and the icon keeps just being
> there. The Tomboy “?Help” button gives incomplete information and was no
> help at all.
>
> Then I was searching for backup help and found the Tomboy Notes manual
> by accident. Now I can actually use it.
>
> Surely there is a better way to find stuff. Would someone be kind
> enough to point me in the right direction?
Sure. I’m not sure if Konqueror is in gnome by default, but if it is,
you can open it and rather than putting in a URL, type in
man:<man page you want to see>
That is, to look up the man page for ls I’d put in “man:ls”
Easy peasy.
You can also access man pages at the command line - there I’d just enter
“man ls” (sans quotes). The advantage of doing it in the browser is you
can print the easily. I find a printed copy very handy. YMMV.
Often too, you’ll find documentation in:
/usr/share/doc/packages/<PACKAGENAME>
Built-in documentation may require that documentation package also be
installed. Check in YaST software management to see if there are
separate packages for your app that aren’t installed.
Thank you for the information. Konqueror does not load during the Gnome standard setup. Gnome uses Nautalis file manager and Firefox browser as the default.
I did try to use KDE but ran into problems with GnuCash (accounting program) and decided to use Gnome. I liked Konqueror much better than the Nautalis/Firefox combination. My choices at this point are based on whatever is easiest to accomplish the task at hand. Gnome seemed to be it. When I get something running for daily use and gain more experience, I can revise the system to do what is best instead of what is easiest.
This is not my first run at Linux. I looked at it over a decade ago and decided the learning curve was too great for the time I had available and stayed with Windows. In 2003, I made another investigative effort and worked my way through Paul Sheer’s “Linux - Rute User’s Tutorial and Exposition”. Again, I decided it would take to much time to build an everyday work machine and learn to use it properly. I stayed with Windows 2k Professional.
With major US corporate support from Novell, I think openSUSE 11.0 is ready for prime-time. Windows users with no technical knowledge can use it right out of the box to do internet browsing, email, spreadsheets and word processing and have file formats compatible with their Windows machines at work.
I am retired and used to give away a lot of old computers to people who generally cannot afford one. Licensing (since Windows 2000) and hardware requirements make it impossible to give away Windows computers anymore. I think openSUSE is the answer to that.
My personal computing needs revolve around investment accounting, general communication and statistical analysis. I have a fairly comprehensive stock selection procedure set up using VBA automation of Excel Spreadsheets and Access databases. Moving them to Linux will involve a complicated transition I will tackle after I have the openSUSE basics firmly in hand.
A person who can’t find his help files in the GUI shouldn’t be worried about scripting and programming. First things first.
I did obtain a copy of “openSUSE 11.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server” by Whittaker and Davies and am reading through it. Do you know of a better openSUSE book that will help me with the basics of using openSUSE and Gnome specifically? Most books bog down in the intricies of different distributions and user interface choices so that the reader is forever trying to figure out if what he is reading applies to what he has and is trying to do.