Added quick start section.

[elpher.git] / elpher.texi

diff --git a/elpher.texi b/elpher.texi
index 5fb4882..725f927 100644 (file)
--- a/elpher.texi
+++ b/elpher.texi
@@ -42,15 +42,16 @@ the file COPYING in the same directory as this file for more details.
 
 @menu
 * Introduction::                Elpher Overview: what's this all about?
+* Installation::                Installing Elpher
+* Quick Start::                 Get up and running quickly
 * Navigation::                  Fundamentals of Elpher navigation
 * Bookmarks::                   How to record and visit bookmarks
 * Character encodings::         How Elpher handles different character encodings
 * Customization::               How to customize various aspects of Elpher
-* Hacking::                     Contributing changes to Elpher
 * Index::
 @end menu
 
-@node Introduction, Navigation, Top, Top
+@node Introduction, Installation, Top, Top
 @chapter Introduction
 
 Elpher aims to be a capable and practical gopher client for Emacs.  Its
@@ -84,9 +85,83 @@ this also means that any usability features that you feel are missing
 can likely by incoroporated quickly, so please get in touch if you
 have some ideas.
 
-@node Navigation, Bookmarks, Introduction, Top
-@chapter Navigation
+@node Installation, Quick Start, Introduction, Top
+@chapter Installation
+
+Elpher is available from the MELPA package repository.  If you have
+never installed packages from this repository before, you'll need
+to follow the instructions at @url{https://melpa.org/#/getting-started}.
+
+@noindent To install Elpher, enter the following:
+
+@example
+@kbd{M-x package-install @key{RET} elpher @key{RET}}
+@end example
+
+@noindent To uninstall, use
+
+@example
+@kbd{M-x package-delete @key{RET} elpher @key{RET}}.
+@end example
+
+While not recommended, it is also possible to install Elpher directly by
+downloading the file @file{elpher.el} from
+@url{https://github.com/tgvaughan/elpher}, adding it to a directory in
+your @code{load-path}, and then adding
+
+@example
+(require 'elpher)
+@end example
+
+@noindent to your Emacs initialization file.
+
+@node Quick Start, Navigation, Installation, Top
+@chapter Quick Start
+
+Before diving into the minutiae of the different commands available,
+we will quickly describe how to get up and running with Elpher.
 
+Once installed, you can launch Elpher using
+
+@example
+@kbd{M-x elpher @key{RET}}
+@end example
+
+@noindent This will switch to the *Elpher* buffer and display a start
+page, with information on each of the default keyboard bindings.
+
+From here you can move point between links (which may be menu items or
+inline URLs in text files) by using @key{TAB} and @kbd{Shift-TAB} keys,
+as in Info.  You can also jump directly to a menu item using @key{m}, or
+use the standard Emacs or Evil motion and search commands to find your
+way around.  To open a link, press @key{RET}.  (Where a mouse is
+available, Clicking on a link with the mouse cursor has the same
+effect.)
+
+To return to the page you just followed the link from, press @key{u}.
+
+Elpher caches (for the duration of an Emacs session) both page contents
+and the position of point on each of the pages (gopher menus, query
+results, or text pages) you visit, restoring these when you next visit
+the same page.  Thus, pressing @key{u} displays the previous page in
+exactly the same state as when you left, meaning that you can quickly
+and visually explore the different documents in a menu without having to
+wait for anything to reload.
+
+Of course, sometimes you'll @emph{want} to reload the current page
+rather than stick with the cached version.  To do this use @key{R}.
+(This is particularly useful for search query results, where this
+allows you to perform a different search.)
+
+That's more-or-less it. Elpher supports a number of other features, such
+as bookmarking, support for different coding schemes and TLS encryption,
+and a variety of customization options, all of which are explained in
+the rest of this document.  However the emphasis is on keeping the basic
+navigation experience as intuitive and responsive as possible.
+
+@node Navigation, Bookmarks, Quick Start, Top
+@chapter Navigation
+by 
 Throughout this manual, we use the word ``page'' to refer to any
 visualization of a response from a gopher server, be it a
 menu/directory, query result, text file or image.  We use
@@ -198,13 +273,10 @@ page which was displayed immediately before the current page.
 @node Character encodings, Customization, Bookmarks, Top
 @chapter Character encodings
 
-@node Customization, Hacking, Character encodings, Top
+@node Customization, Index, Character encodings, Top
 @chapter Customization
 
-@node Hacking, Index, Customization, Top
-@chapter Hacking
-
-@node Index,  , Hacking, Top
+@node Index,  , Customization, Top
 @unnumbered Index
 
 @printindex cp