Re: can't get a foot in

[Chris Jackson]

Lance <address@hidden> wrote:
> Hello. My name is Lance and I'm a composer and pianist living is
> Australia. I've been messing around with trying to set up something
> with 'Lilypond' but just can't get past first base. I'm not a
> computer wizard but neither am I a total buffoon. I downloaded
> everything on the 'setup.exe' on the Lilypond stable site and wound
> up with something working in DOS that I couldn't fathom.

Hi Lance,

Are you working through the instructions on

http://lilypond.org/stable/Documentation/windows/out-www/installing.html

If so, it might be more helpful if you let us know exactly where you've got
stuck.
I guess somewhere in the "Testing Lilypond" section?  You'll have
to get used to working with the command-line I'm afraid!  The basic process
is

- create your score file using a text editor, like Notepad.
- go to the command-line, navigate to the directory where you saved the
score file.  Run the ly2dvi command to make the output file.
- have a look at the output, using a Postscript or PDF file reader.

But I appreciate that there's many hitches for newbies in these three
fundamental steps!

> Surely there must be an easier step by step approach to the setting
> up of this program. I'd love to use it for the publishing of a book
> of piano works that is almost ready to start typesetting and am sure
> that I could be a constructive member of the Lilypond community given
> the chance to get passed the technical gobbledygook.
>
> Just drowning at the moment. Can somebody get me started.


As I understand it, the website is in the process of being rewritten, and
will be released with the imminent next version of lilypond.  This is likely
to be more friendly to newbies who are getting started on Windows.  Bear
in mind that the developers are almost all Linux users.

Stick with it - it's a great program - your experiences might help produce
better documentation!  As another pianist and composer I can confirm that
the learning curve is worth it.

-- 
Chris