Table Of ContentRISC OS 5
User Guide
Copyright © 1996 Acorn Computers Limited. All rights reserved.
Updates and changes copyright © 2018 RISC OS Open Ltd. All rights reserved.
Issues 1 and 2 published by RISC OS Open Ltd.
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Published by RISC OS Open Ltd.
Issue 1, April 2018 (updates by RISC OS Open Ltd).
Issue 2, October 2020 (updates by RISC OS Open Ltd).
ii
Contents
Introduction xvii
About this Guide xvii
The RISC OS operating system xviii
Conventions used in this manual xviii
Important tips xix
Getting help xxi
Additional documentation xxii
Part 1 – Beginner’s concepts 1
Chapter 1: The RISC OS desktop 3
What is the RISC OS desktop? 3
Windows 4
Icons 4
Menus 6
The pointer 6
Chapter 2: Using the mouse 7
What is a mouse? 7
Holding the mouse 7
The mouse buttons 8
Basic mouse techniques 8
Clicking 9
Double-clicking 9
Dragging 10
Chapter 3: Using the keyboard 11
A quick tour of the keyboard 11
When to use the keyboard 12
The computer control keys 12
Moving around a document 13
Typing special characters 14
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Contents
Chapter 4: Windows 15
Features of windows 15
Practising manipulating windows 17
Changing a window’s size 17
Moving a window 17
Toggling window size 18
Bringing windows to the front 18
Closing windows 19
Scrolling 19
Practising scrolling 21
Scrolling step by step 22
Moving through a file 22
Chapter 5: Menus and dialogue boxes 23
Menu basics 23
Displaying a menu 23
Choosing from a menu 24
Keeping a menu on the screen 24
Choosing from a submenu 25
Choosing menu options – conventions in this Guide 26
What is a dialogue box? 26
Chapter 6: Using applications 29
What are applications? 29
Starting an application 29
Using applications 30
Using more than one application window 31
Quitting applications 31
The Boot application 32
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Contents
Chapter 7: Files and directories 33
What are files and directories? 33
Opening directory displays 33
Double-clicking on an application 34
Building a file structure 34
Creating a new directory 35
Saving a file 35
Loading a file 37
Copying a file to another directory 37
Moving a file 38
Deleting files and directories 38
Pinboard 39
Chapter 8: Switching off the computer 41
Normal shut down procedure 41
Part 2 – Managing the desktop 43
Chapter 9: The desktop 45
Manipulating windows 45
Directory displays 47
The Filer 52
Advanced Filer operations 55
Desktop colours and resolution 62
The pinboard 67
Chapter 10: Managing the desktop 73
Introducing the Task Manager 73
Controlling tasks and memory 74
Launching Configure 79
Saving a Desktop settings file 80
Shutting the computer down 80
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Contents
Chapter 11: Changing the computer’s configuration 81
Introduction 81
Changing configuration settings with Configure 84
Merging updates using Configure 84
Boot setup plug-in 85
Discs setup plug-in 87
Filer setup plug-in 89
Fonts setup plug-in 91
Help setup plug-in 93
Keyboard setup plug-in 94
Lock setup plug-in 95
Mouse setup plug-in 98
Pinboard setup plug-in 100
Screen setup plug-in 101
Sound setup plug-in 103
System setup plug-in 105
Theme setup plug-in 105
Time and date setup plug-in 107
Windows setup plug-in 109
Chapter 12: The Boot application 111
Introduction 111
Getting out of a mess 111
Inside the Boot application 112
PreDesktop boot 114
Desktop boot 115
Desktop settings file 116
Other names for the Boot application 118
Chapter 13: Using discs 121
Fixed and removable discs 121
Mounting and dismounting discs 121
Naming discs 122
Formatting discs 123
Backing up discs 128
Checking for disc defects (verifying) 131
Checking the amount of free space on a disc 132
Using several removable discs at once 133
What to do if something goes wrong 134
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Contents
Chapter 14: Other storage devices and filing systems 137
Types of filing systems 137
Using DVD-ROMs and CD-ROMs 138
Using DOS and Windows discs 140
Using spare RAM as a disc 143
Using read-only resources 144
Using USB connected drives and SCSI discs 145
Using removable memory cards 146
Part 3 – Networking 147
Chapter 15: Local networks 149
Types of network 149
Configuring networking 150
Disc sharing on an Access network 151
Printing over an Access network 157
File sharing on an Econet network 159
Printing over an Econet network 166
File sharing using other protocols 166
Chapter 16: Setting up networking 167
Introduction 167
Configuring connection to an Econet network 168
Configuring connection to an Access network 169
Configuring connection to the Internet 169
Saving your Network Configuration 175
Chapter 17: OmniClient 177
Selecting OmniClient’s protocols 177
Starting OmniClient 177
Using OmniClient 178
Icon bar menu 181
Printing through an OmniClient protocol 182
Quitting OmniClient 183
Advanced OmniClient configuration 184
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Contents
Part 4 – Printing 187
Chapter 18: Setting up printers 189
Setting up the printer 189
Loading the Printer Manager 191
Configuring the printer 193
Configuring the printer connection 200
Activating the printer 203
Editing paper sizes 204
Saving your choices 206
Creating your own Printer definition file 206
Chapter 19: Printing your files 207
Starting Printer Manager 207
Printing a file 207
Things you can’t print 209
Using more than one printer 209
Print queue control 210
Text printing and graphics printing 211
Using PostScript printers 213
Hints and tips 214
Chapter 20: PrintEdit 215
Starting PrintEdit 216
The PrintEdit window 216
Graphics mode 218
Text modes 222
Saving and quitting 225
Chapter 21: FontPrint 227
Starting FontPrint 227
Mapping 228
Downloading 229
Advanced information 231
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Contents
Part 5 – RISC OS applications 233
Chapter 22: RISC OS applications 235
Where to look for applications 235
Starting applications 237
Loading any file into Edit 237
Transferring data between applications 238
Setting application options in Boot files 238
Adding more applications to a hard disc 238
Chapter 23: Using colour in applications 239
Colour models 239
Using colour in Draw 240
Colour and the desktop 244
Chapter 24: Using fonts in applications 245
RISC OS fonts 245
Choosing and using fonts in applications 247
How the Font Manager works 248
Matching font performance to your needs 250
Printing with fonts 251
Changing the desktop font 251
Troubleshooting 252
Chapter 25: Edit 253
Starting Edit 253
Typing in text 254
Editing text 255
Formatting text 265
Changing the display font 268
Saving text files 269
Printing text files 269
Other features of Edit 270
Writing and editing BASIC programs 271
Quitting Edit 272
Saving Edit application preferences 272
Keystroke equivalents 273
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Contents
Chapter 26: Draw 277
Starting Draw 277
Basic ideas 278
Draw tutorial 281
Draw reference section 309
Undoing and redoing operations 309
Using the Grid to place objects accurately 310
Zooming in and out of your drawing 312
Displaying two views of the same file 313
Creating objects (Enter mode) 313
Manipulating objects (Select mode) 316
Creating special effects in Draw (interpolation and grading) 320
Defining a path object’s style 325
Defining text style 329
Editing Draw objects (Path edit mode) 330
Importing (loading) files into Draw 336
Exporting (saving) files from Draw 337
Printing Draw files 338
Text areas 340
DXF files 346
JPEGs (photo-quality images) 347
Working with multiple Draw files 348
Saving Draw application preferences 348
Keyboard shortcuts 350
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