Re: Can't get started-no matter how hard I try

[Tim McNamara]

On Oct 6, 2009, at 1:17 AM, David Bobroff wrote:

> Ami Magori Cohen wrote:
> > Hi,
> > Thank you very much for this software,and for your help.
> > After having read about this wonderful software,I have downloaded  
> > it and tried to get started,but i'm stuck!When I open the  
> > software,I see a blank page with the title 'Lily Pad'-typing the  
> > basic commands didn't produced any notation
> > [though the test went fine .for houers I read the tutorials  
> > etc..but I can't find where did I go wrong.I dont see any of the  
> > screensots that i'm supposed to see[as in the 'Crash Course'].
> > When things will be clear to me ,I think I will be one of the  
> > enthusistic members of Lily Pond[think that this will be the first  
> > step of moving to Linux].
> > Up til now i'm a windows user,I use a registerd Finale's Print  
> > Music.The fact that I can work only on one licenced computer 
> > [especially when it's not working right],besides of Finale's lacks- 
> > drives me mad!
> > Details;I use a R61 Lenovo,Windows xp pro,IE8[browser],I  
> > downloaded Lily Pond 2.10.33-1 for Windows.Thanks,thanks and  
> > thanks!!!

> I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "open the software." I'm  
> going to conclude that you missed a detail about how LilyPond  
> works.  It does *not* have an interactive interface like Finale/ 
> Sibelius.  To use LilyPond you must create/edit a text file which  
> contains the definitions of your music.  Then LilyPond processes  
> that file and produces a PDF of your music.  You view that PDF and  
> then make additional entries to your input (text) file.

Presumably she means "launching LilyPond" when she says "opening the  
software."

LilyPond 2.12.x for Mac has a simple text editor that opens when the  
application is launched, which can be used for creating a .ly file.   
Indeed, wen one double-clicks the application to launch it, the text  
editor opens with a sample file.  I don't know if this is the case  
for the Windows version of the software.

> Have you read the tutorial or crash course?  Those are good places  
> to start.

Ami noted that she has read the tutorials.  Is there a Windows- 
specific tutorial which she should read?  Here is the "crash course"  
which David mentions:

http://lilypond.org/web/help/

And the Learning Manual:

http://lilypond.org/web/help/

Note that these manuals are for a more recent version- 2.12.2-1.   
Ami, I would recommend that your download and install a more recent  
version of LilyPond.  2.10 is obsolete.  Try:

http://download.linuxaudio.org/lilypond/binaries/mingw/ 
lilypond-2.12.2-1.mingw.exe