[scribus] Getting Scribus set up - problems

[john Culleton]

On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:37:36 +0000 Barry Smale
<barry.smale at btinternet.com> wrote:

> I have just downloaded Scribus for the first time and am having
> a few problems.
> 
> 1. I have downloaded ghostscript but when I open Scribus it
> says I don't have it available
> 
> 2. When I click on "Scribus manual' on the help menu nothing
> happens
> 
> 3. I can only get a very limited set of pre-set colours when I
> try and set text colour
> 
> Anyone got any ideas?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Barry Smale ___ Scribus Mailing List: scribus at lists.scribus.net
> Edit your options or unsubscribe:
> http://lists.scribus.net/mailman/listinfo/scribus See also:
> http://wiki.scribus.net http://forums.scribus.net
> 
> _______________________________________________________
> Unlimited Disk, Data Transfer, PHP/MySQL Domain Hosting
> http://www.doteasy.com 

1. this is a FAQ. The usual cure, wknce you have now installed
GohostScript, is to reinstall Scribus. It should then find and
use Ghostscript.

This is mentioned in the documentation somewhere. It needs to be
highlghted. Those of us who use Linux are likely to already have
GhostScript. It is included with Slackware for example. But those
who use MSWin or OS X more often than not don't. 

I take the safe route and recommend in my e-book on page 7 that
all the program packages that Scribus may use should be installed
first, and Scribus installed last. 

2. There was an error introduced in Scribus recently with respect
to the manual. It has been fixed. So a fresh download and
install should take care of that  problem.

3. As recommended in my e-book on page 9 to get a useful color
set you fire up Scribus. Exit the "New Document" page. Then with
no document active go to the menu item Edit->Colors. In the
appropriate space on that screen select "Scribus Open Office
CMYK" and make that color set the default. Don't use the Libre
color set, that is RPG.

Steps 1 and 3 are more or less automatic for old hands. But
newcomers (including myself when I was a newbie not so long ago)
stumble over them regularly. For problem 1. I suggest a
highlighted message on the download page. For problem 3 I suggest
that "Scribus Open Office CMYK" be the default. Many if not most
Scribus users will end up there eventually. So why not make it
the default?  The current default color set is pretty useless.


-- 

John Culleton Free list of books for self-publishers:
http://wexfordpress.net/shortlist.html

"Create Book Covers with Scribus"
http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html