Ways to make life easier for new RISC OS users

It might be worth containing some simple instructions for new users in the disc images for the PI and beagle boards etc.

One idea I have is a video file on how to use RISC OS in a various languages, with various tips.

For example instructions for applications can generally be found by clicking the menu button on the mouse of the application’s icon in the filer window.

The terminology of the mouse buttons.

The original introduction manual I got with my A3000 was really very good, the same for the audio tape (not sure if that only came with the RISC OS 3.10 upgrade). If someone could make a fusion of both as an introduction video, that would be really great.

There is a good introduction in German language available here – is there something similar available in English?

I had a think about this:

• Apps in the ‘Apps’ ResourceFS folder on the iconbar (ie AddApp-ed from HardDisc:$.Apps, not randomly scattered around the disc
• !Help and useful tutorials pinned to the desktop
• An explanation of mouse buttons, window furniture, filing system, how to open Help files with the Filer

A video would be good, as long as it’s reasonably small

How to run Configure is not obvious.

It would be good if the default configuration for the Raspberry Pi had helpful features turned on, like windows having iconise buttons and Filer delete operations asking for confirmation.

This badly needs to be done.

Actually it has – the welcome guide!

Given that Castle included one with the Iyonix, is this available to be used?

Can’t think where I’ve seen it, might be Windows “show me how to do this” in Word or something – but a small app could be written in BASIC that appears on startup which does a tour of the main idioms (middle mouse button, the switcher icon, where apps are, that sort of thing) by actually moving the mouse pointer round the screen, pausing, and maybe highlighting the thing of interest with a big arrow (like the magnifying glass app does perhaps?).

That would be considerably smaller than a video file, doesn’t need a video player, and doesn’t require people to have speakers or sound plugged in which they may not.

Would need some ‘self destruct’ mechanism so it doesn’t just repeat every time you boot.

Given that Castle included one with the Iyonix, is this available to be used?

It’s hoped so.

by actually moving the mouse pointer round the screen

"eg with one of those mouse click replay things"

So we’re looking for a macro recorder, then? What’s the status of PlayBack and KlikMacro (recent-ish ref)?

Not necessarily a macro recorder… an app that knows about its own window and moves that around while displaying tutorial text inside it would be better – avoids having to worry about a macro recorder getting out of sync (eg window opens in the wrong place). But whatever is easiest really. KlikMacro is GPLv2 so we can distribute it.

A simple shortcut !Configure inside Resources:$.Apps that runs !Boot would fix the ‘not obvious to run Configure’ problem… like there used to be in RO3.1

A simple shortcut !Configure inside Resources:$.Apps that runs !Boot would fix the ‘not obvious to run Configure’ problem

Remember there’s already the “configure…” menu entry in the switcher which is arguably more akin to Start → Settings → Control Panel in Windows.

“configure…” menu entry in the switcher

Maybe adding adjust-click there to open Configure would make sense too.

Remember there’s already the “configure…” menu entry in the switcher

I never knew that was there! I agree with the adjust-click idea though.

Putting !Configure in Resources:$.Apps would be most simply achieved by just putting a shell !Configure app in to the Apps folder on the disk image. As for adjust-click on switcher, that is reasonably simple to implement, I’ve put an example module up at http://www.alpha42.plus.com/qc20111126.zip to illustrate how this would look, although I’m not sure it’s the most obvious action for a new user to take.

adjust-click on switcher, that is reasonably simple to implement

Works a treat. Thanks.

not sure it’s the most obvious action for a new user to take.

Perhaps not, but I think it’s an improvement over the default, which AFAICT is the same as select-clicking. Unless there’s a more needed/appropriate action for adjust-click on the switcher, this would seem to be handy for both existing users and those who are becoming accustomed to the OS and therefore out of the “new user” category.

adjust-click on switcher

I think that’s quite undiscoverable for a new user, the mouse is generally intended to do left click to select/confirm, middle click to open a context menu, right click to do the opposite of left click. If anything right click on the switcher should close the tasks window.

Putting !Configure in Resources:$.Apps would be most simply achieved by just putting a shell !Configure app in to the Apps folder

Yes, that’s more like it. As 90+% of the world uses Windows you’d end up with the two equivalent ways of getting at Control panel (start menu/switcher menu & run control.exe/!Configure).

adjust-click on switcher

I think that’s quite undiscoverable for a new user

Apologies if the following sounds too contrary. But the SG states “Adjust should not be needed by new users, but be used for shortcuts and alternatives to other procedures.” (iss.1, pg.14, last para.)

If anything right click on the switcher should close the tasks window.

Although this is kind of what the filer does, I wonder whether any other icon bar icons do this. Of the other menu options offered from the switcher, I think ‘Task window’ would probably be my personal second choice shortcut. (Ideally, I guess the action would be completely configurable by users.)

If anything right click on the switcher should close the tasks window.

There are very few icons on the iconbar (if any) that behave like this. Not even the various drive icons do that.

Here are a few examples:

Some of the above are configurable of course.
I think having adjust-click on the Switcher and Configure appearing in Resources:$.Apps would be best.

Not even the various drive icons do that.

Is this covered by the wished-for XXFSFiler replacement? If so, suggestions for adjust-clicking there could be ‘Dismount’¹ or ‘Free’. But in the case of Dismount, perhaps a confirmation would be desirable (or a default of not doing this action) – otherwise a new user could find all his/her filer windows for that drive unexpectedly disappearing!

¹ Isn’t there a module already available to do something like this? Or maybe I’m getting confused with ejecting CD-ROMs.

Isn’t there a module already available to do something like this? Or maybe I’m getting confused with ejecting CD-ROMs.

You probably mean druck’s utilities here.

I like the idea of dismount on adjust click, but I do agree that a warning message should be displayed by default. It would be useful for ejecting any hot-swappable drives/sticks.

Another idea I has is an explantion of what the iconbar does, with applications, for example the close icon on an application window does not close the application, just close the open window, to close an application you menu click on the application’s icon on the iconbar.

Regarding the dismount option from the various filer icons on the iconbar, aren’t they just doing a *Dismount? That is actually closing files without the application knowing about it. Potentially dangerous…

Maybe the command should actually check if any files are open on that disc before actually issuing the dismount command, giving an error if any files are open?