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<chapter id="usage-mainwindow">
<title>Getting Started with Ximian Evolution</title>
<sect1 id="what">
<title>What is Ximian Evolution, and What Can It Do for Me?</title>
<para>
Information is useless unless it's organized and accessible;
it's hardly even worth the name if you can't look at it and be
<emphasis>informed</emphasis>. The goal of
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> is to make the
tasks of storing, organizing, and retrieving your personal
information easier, so you can work and communicate with
others. That is, it's a highly evolved <glossterm
linkend="groupware">groupware</glossterm> program, an integral
part of the Internet-connected desktop.
</para>
<para>
In other words, <application>Ximian Evolution</application> is
a tool to help you get your work done.
</para>
<para>
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> is Free Software. The
program and its source code are released under the terms of
the GNU <ulink type="help"
url="gnome-help:gpl"><citetitle>General Public License
(GPL)</citetitle></ulink>, and the documentation falls under
the <ulink type="help" url="gnome-help:fdl"><citetitle>Free
Documentation License</citetitle></ulink> (FDL). For more
information about the GPL and the FDL, visit the Free Software
Foundation's website at <ulink
url="http://www.fsf.org">http://www.fsf.org</ulink>.
</para>
<para>
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> can help you work in a
group by handling email, address and other contact
information, and one or more calendars. It can do that on one
or several computers, connected directly or over a network,
for one person or for large groups.
</para>
<para>
With <application>Ximian Evolution</application>, you can
accomplish your most common daily tasks faster. For example, it
takes only one or two clicks to enter an appointment or an
address card sent to you by email, or to send email to a contact
or appointment. <application>Ximian Evolution</application>
makes displays faster and more efficient, so searches are faster
and memory usage is lower. People who get lots of mail will
appreciate advanced features like <link
linkend="usage-mail-organize-vFolders"> Virtual Folders</link>,
which let you save searches as though they were ordinary mail
folders.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="usage-mainwindow-starting">
<title>The First Time you Start Ximian Evolution</title>
<para>
To start <application>Ximian Evolution</application>, do either
of the following:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Select <menuchoice><guimenu>Programs</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Evolution</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> from your
menu panel.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Type <command>evolution</command> at the command line.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
The first time you run the program, it will create a directory
called <filename>evolution</filename> in your home directory,
where it will store all of its local data. Then, it will open a
first-run assistant to help you set up mail accounts and import
data from other applications.
</para>
<para>
Using the first-run assistant will take approximately two to
five minutes.
</para>
<sect2 id="first-step">
<title>Defining Your Identity</title>
<para>
The Identity window is the first of four steps in the
assistant. The identity step will ask you to enter your basic
personal information. You can define multiple identities
later on with the <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Mail Settings</guimenuitem></menuchoice> tool.
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Full Name: Your full name (Example: John Doe).
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Email Address: Your email address (Example: john@doe.com)
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Organization: The company where you work (optional).
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Signature file: If you'd like to use an email
<glossterm linkend="signature">signature</glossterm>,
select your signature file here. Normally, the
signature will be the contents of the
<filename>.signature</filename> file in your home
directory.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="second-step">
<title>Recieving Email</title>
<para>
The <guilabel>Recieving Email</guilabel> step lets you configure
receving email people have sent you.
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Server Type: There are numerous types of servers
from which <application>Ximian Evolution</application>
can fetch your mail. Ask your system administrator if
you're not sure which of the following are available to
you:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
POP: Downloads your email to your hard disk for
permanent storage.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Microsoft Exchange: Available only if you have
purchased the Ximian Connector for Microsoft
Exchange, this will allow you to connect to a
Microsoft Exchange 2000 server, which stores
email, calendar, and contact information on the
server.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
IMAP: Keeps the email on your server so you
can access your email from multiple systems.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Unix mail spool file: If you run a mail
server on your desktop computer, choose this
option.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Standard Unix .mbox file: If you want
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> to
read mail from a specific file, or if you download
mail with another application, choose this option.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Qmail maildir format files: If you download your
mail using qmail, you'll want to use this.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
None: Select this if you do not plan to
check mail with this account.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<note id="imap-note-one">
<title>What's an IMAP Namespace?</title>
<para>
For IMAP mail servers, your sysadmin may provide
you with a specific namespace, the directory on
where your server stores mail for you. If you
check your IMAP mail and your folder list includes
files that don't look like mail folders, you
probably need to change your mail
namespace. Typical values are "mail" and "Mail."
If you prefer, you can choose to subscribe to
individual mail folders one at a time. For more
information about how to use IMAP mail, see <xref
linkend="usage-mail-subscriptions">.
</para>
</note>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Email Server: This is the address of the server you're
downloading from.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Username: The username that you login to your email. That
is often the part before the @ in your email.
</para>
<para>
Authentication Type: Chances are you are using
<guilabel>Password</guilabel>. Ask your administrator
for more details. You can have <application>Ximian
Evolution</application> make sure you've chosen
correctly by clicking <guibutton>Check for supported
types</guibutton>.
</para>
<para>
Remember Password: If you prefer to not enter your
password every time you check email, press this button.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<tip id="exchange-info">
<title>Can Ximian Evolution Talk to Microsoft Exchange?</title>
<para>
If you have purchased the Ximian Connector for Microsoft
Exchange, you can access Microsoft Exchange 2000 servers
natively. If you do not have the Connector, or if you use
an older version of Microsoft Exchange, talk to your system
administrator about access to standard protocol services
like POP and IMAP.
</para>
</tip>
<note id="recieving-options">
<title>More Options</title>
<para>
There are more extensive options for mail preferences, especially if
you've chosen IMAP as your incoming mail server type. Once you've
created an account, you can fine-tune it by selecting
<menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Mail
Settings</guimenuitem></menuchoice>, selecting the account you want to
change, and clicking the <guibutton>Edit</guibutton> button. See <xref
linkend="config-prefs-mail"> for details.
</para>
</note>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="third-step">
<title>Sending Email</title>
<para>
The <guilabel>Sending Email</guilabel> step lets you configure sending
email.
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Server Type: There are numerous server types that
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> supports for sending your
mail.
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
SMTP: Sends mail directly from your system.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Microsoft Exchange: Sends mail through a Microsoft
Exchange server using the Microsoft Exchange 2000
protocol. Available only if you have purchased the
Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange from
<ulink
url="http://store.ximian.com">store.ximian.com</ulink>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Sendmail: Uses the Sendmail program to send mail
from your system. Sendmail is more flexible, but
is not as easy to configure, so you should only
select this option if you know how to set up a
sendmail service.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Host: If you chose <guilabel>SMTP</guilabel> or
<guilabel>Microsoft Exchange</guilabel>, enter the
server's name or IP address here.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Server requires authentication: If your server
requires you to enter a password to send mail, check
this box.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Authentication Type: Chances are you are using
<guilabel>Password</guilabel>. If you're not sure, ask
your system administrator or ISP, or have
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> check for you by
clicking <guibutton>Check for supported
types</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Username: The account name you use when you login
to check your email. Normally, this is the part of your
email address before the '@' character.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Remember Password: If you prefer to not enter
your password every time you check email, press this
button.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="fourth-step">
<title>Importing Mail (Optional)</title>
<para>
If <application>Ximian Evolution</application> finds mail or
address files from another application, it will offer to
import them. If you're not sure which file format your mail
program uses, ask your system administrator. If you want, you
can skip this step and return to it at a later time by
selecting
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Import</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.
</para>
<para>
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> can import the following types of
files:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>VCard (.vcf, gcrd):</term>
<listitem>
<para>
The addressbook format used by the GNOME, KDE, and
many other contact management applications. You
should be able to export to VCard format from any
address book application.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Microsoft Outlook Express 4 (.mbx):</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Email file format used by Microsoft Outlook Express
4. For other versions of Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, see
the workaround described in the note below.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>MBox (mbox):</term>
<listitem>
<para>
The email box format used by Mozilla, Netscape,
Ximian Evolution, Eudora, and many other email clients.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
<para>
<note>
<title>Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express Users</title>
<para>
Microsoft Outlook, and versions of Outlook Express after
version 4, use proprietary formats that <application>Ximian
Evolution</application> cannot read or import. For contacts,
you may have to email them to yourself and import them that
way. For email, there is a simpler workaround:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
While using Windows, import the files into Mozilla Mail (or
another mailer, such as Netscape or Eudora, that uses the
standard mbox format).
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Copy the files to the system or partition you use for
<application>Ximian Evolution</application>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Use the <application>Ximian Evolution</application> import
tool to import the files. There's more information about
why this works, and how, at the Ximian support website.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</note>
<note>
<title>Netscape Users</title>
<para>
Before importing mail from Netscape, make sure you select
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Compact All
Folders</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. If you don't,
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> will import and undelete
the messages in your Trash folders.
</para>
</note>
</para>
<tip>
<title>Exporting Files From Ximian Evolution</title>
<para>
Ximian Evolution uses standard file types for all its information,
so you should have no trouble taking your information
elsewhere if you want.
</para>
<para>
For mail, that's <filename>mbox</filename>, for calendar,
<filename>iCal</filename>, and for the address book, vCards
in a <filename>.db3</filename> database.
</para>
</tip>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="importing-mail-from-clients">
<title>Importing Mail from Individual Mail Clients</title>
<para>
Chances are, you already have your email in another mail program
and don't want to lose the information. The following section
describes how to import mail from specific mail clients.
</para>
<sect2 id="mutt">
<title>Importing Mail from mutt</title>
<para>
<application>mutt</application> is a full-featured mail client
which is shipped with most Linux and Unix distributions.
<application>mutt</application> uses the standard mbox file
format, which makes importing your mail into
<application>Evolution</application> easy.
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open <application>Ximian Evolution</application>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Import</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
or press
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>I</keycap>
</keycombo>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>Next</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select <guibutton>Import a Single File</guibutton>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>Browse</guibutton> and select the file
you would like to import from.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
When prompted for what folder in
<application>Evolution</application> to import to,
select a folder. You can also create a new folder and
drop it in there.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="kmail">
<title>Importing Mail from KMail</title>
<para>
KMail is a full-featured mail client which is shipped with the
KDE desktop environment. KMail uses the standard mbox file
format, which means that importing your mail into
<application>Evolution</application> is easy.
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Open <application>Ximian Evolution</application>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Import</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
or press
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>I</keycap>
</keycombo>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>Next</guibutton>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select <guibutton>Import a Single File</guibutton>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>Browse</guibutton> and select the file
you would like to import from. By default, KMail stores
its information in the Mail directory of your home
directory.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
When prompted for what folder in
<application>Evolution</application> to import to,
select a folder. You can also create a new folder and
drop it in there.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="ui-intro">
<title>What's What in Ximian Evolution</title>
<para>
Now that you've gotten the first-run configuration out of the
way, you're ready to get down to work. Here's a quick
explanation of what's going on in your main
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> window.
</para>
<figure id="preface-basic-interface">
<title>The Ximian Evolution Main Window</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Inbox</screeninfo>
<mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata
fileref="figures/mainwindow-pic" format="png" srccredit="Kevin
Breit"> </imageobject></mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</figure>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
<guilabel>Menubar</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Menubar</guilabel> gives you access to nearly all the
features that can be found in <application>Ximian Evolution</application>.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-2" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
<guilabel>Toolbar</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Toolbar</guilabel> gives you fast and easy access to the
most used features in each component.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-3" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
<guilabel>Shortcut Bar</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Shortcut Bar</guilabel> lets you go to your favorite
components with the click of a click of a button.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-4" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
<guilabel>Status Bar</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
Periodically, <application>Ximian Evolution</application> will need to quietly
display a message, or tell you the progress of a task. This most
often happens when you're checking or sending email. These progress
queues are shown here, in the <guilabel>Status Bar</guilabel>.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-5" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
<guilabel>Search Tool</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Search Tool</guilabel> lets you search through your email
with precision so you can easily find what you're looking for.
</para>
<sect2 id="usage-mainwindow-shortcutbar">
<title>The Shortcut Bar</title>
<para>
<application>Ximian Evolution</application>'s most important job is
to give you access to your information and help you use it
quickly. One way it does that is through the
<interface>shortcut bar</interface>, the column on the left
hand side of the main window. The large buttons with names
like <guilabel>Inbox</guilabel> and
<guilabel>Contacts</guilabel> are the shortcuts, and you can
select different groups of shortcuts by clicking the
rectangular group buttons.
</para>
<para>
Take a look at the <guilabel>Shortcut Bar</guilabel>
The shortcut buttons in that category are:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term> <guibutton>Summary</guibutton>:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Start your day here. The Ximian Evolution
<guilabel>Summary</guilabel> gives you a quick
summary of new or important messages, daily
appointments and urgent tasks. You can customize
its appearance and content, and use it to access
Ximian Evolution services.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term> <guibutton>Inbox</guibutton>:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Click the <guibutton>Inbox</guibutton> button to start
reading your mail. Your Inbox is also where you can
access Ximian Evolution's tools to filter, sort, organize, and
search your mail.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><guibutton>Calendar</guibutton>:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
The Calendar can store your appointments and task lists
for you. Connected to a network, you can use it to keep
a group of people on schedule and up to date.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><guibutton>Tasks</guibutton>:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
A full-size view of your calendar's task pad.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><guibutton>Contacts</guibutton>:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
The Addressbook holds contacts, with address, phone, and
other personal information. Like calendar information,
contact data can be synchronized with hand-held devices
and shared over a network.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<!-- NOT IMPLEMENTED YET
<varlistentry>
<term> <guibutton>Notes:</guibutton></term>
<listitem>
<para> The note pad is your catch-all tool: use it to take
messages from phone conversations, keep small things
organized, write <glossterm linkend="haiku">haiku</glossterm>, or whatever
you like. This feature is not yet implemented, but will be
soon. See <xref linkend="usage-notes"> for more
information.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
-->
</variablelist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mainwindow-folderbar">
<title>Folders and The Folder Bar</title>
<para>
The <interface>folder bar</interface> is a more comprehensive
way to view the information you've stored with
<application>Ximian Evolution</application>. It displays all your
appointments, address cards, and email in a tree that's a lot
like a <glossterm linkend="filetree">file
tree</glossterm>-- it starts small at the top, and branches
downwards. On most computers, there will be three or four
folders at the base. First, of course, is the
<guilabel>Summary</guilabel>, a customizable summary of your
information. Below that are your <guilabel>Local
Folders</guilabel>, which hold all the
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> data that's stored on your
computer. After that are your network servers: <glossterm
linkend="ldap">LDAP</glossterm> servers that host shared contact
directories, and <glossterm linkend="imap">IMAP</glossterm> mail
folders to which you subscribe. Lastly, there are
<guilabel>vFolders</guilabel>, or virtual folders, discussed in
<xref linkend="usage-mail-organize-vfolders">,
</para>
<para>
A typical <guilabel>Local</guilabel> folder contains the following folders:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Calendar</guilabel>, for appointments and
event listings.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Contacts</guilabel>, for address cards.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Drafts</guilabel>, for messages you started and didn't finish.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Inbox</guilabel>, for incoming mail.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Outbox</guilabel>, for messages you have written
but not yet sent. This will be empty unless you use
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> while offline.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Sent</guilabel>, for sent mail.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Trash</guilabel>, a vFolder view of all the
messages you have marked for deletion but not yet
<glossterm linkend="expunge">expunged</glossterm>.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<tip id="foldertips">
<title>Navigating without the Folder Bar or the Shortcut Bar</title>
<para>
You don't need the folder bar or the shortcut bar to move
around the main window. You can use the <keycap>Tab</keycap>
key to switch from one part of the window to another. When
you hide the folder bar, there is a menu on the left side of
the window just below the toolbar to move about the folder
tree, even with the folder and shortcut bars hidden.
</para>
</tip>
<para>
If you get large volumes of mail, you'll want more folders than
just your Inbox. To create a new folder:
<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
<listitem>
<para>
Select
<menuchoice> <guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Folder</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Shift</keycap>
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>E</keycap>
</keycombo>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the name of the folder in the <guilabel>Folder
Name</guilabel> field.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the folder type. The available options are.
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Calendar
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Contacts
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Mail
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Tasks
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Choose the location of the new folder.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
<sect3 id="subfolders">
<title>Subfolders</title>
<para>
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> lets you nest folders
inside of each other, so that you can have a detailed
organizational system.
</para>
<note>
<title>Folders Have Limits</title>
<para>
Calendars must go in calendar folders, mail in mail
folders, and contacts in contact folders.
</para>
</note>
<para>
Right-clicking will bring up a menu for just about anything in
<application>Ximian Evolution</application>. If you right-click on a
folder, you'll have a menu with the following options:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>View</guimenuitem>, to view the folder. </para></listitem>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>Open in New Window</guimenuitem> to view the folder in another window. </para></listitem>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>Move</guimenuitem>, to move the folder to another location. </para></listitem>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>Copy</guimenuitem>, to duplicate the folder. </para></listitem>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem>, to delete the folder and all its contents. </para></listitem>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>Rename</guimenuitem>, to change its name. </para></listitem>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>Create New Folder</guimenuitem>, to create another folder in the same location. </para></listitem>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>Add to Shortcut Bar</guimenuitem>, to add the folder to your shortcut bar. </para></listitem>
<listitem><para><guimenuitem>Properties</guimenuitem>, to view or change the folder properties. </para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
You can also rearrange folders and messages by dragging and
dropping them.
</para>
<para>
Any time new mail arrives in a mail folder, that folder
label is displayed in bold text, along with the number of
new messages in that folder.
</para>
</sect3>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="usage-mainwindow-menubar">
<title>The Menu Bar</title>
<para>
The <interface>menu bar</interface>'s contents will always
provide all the possible actions for any given view of your
data. If you're looking at your Inbox, most of the menu items
will relate to mail; some will relate to other components of
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> and some, especially those
in the <guimenu>File Menu</guimenu> will relate to the
application as a whole.
</para>
<para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term> <guimenu>File</guimenu>:</term>
<listitem><para> Anything related to a file or to the
operations of the application generally falls under this
menu: creating things, saving them to disk, printing them,
and quitting the program itself. </para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term> <guimenu>Edit</guimenu>:</term>
<listitem><para>
The <guimenu>Edit</guimenu> menu holds
useful tools that help you edit text and move it around.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term> <guimenu>View</guimenu>:</term>
<listitem><para>
This menu lets you decide how <application>Ximian Evolution</application>
should look. Some of the features control the appearance of
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> as a whole, and others
the way a particular kind of information appears.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term> <guimenu>Actions</guimenu>:</term>
<listitem><para>
Holds actions which maybe applied to a message. Normally,
if there is only one target for the action -- for
example, replying to a message -- you can find it in
the <guimenu>Actions</guimenu> menu.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term> <guimenu>Tools</guimenu>:</term>
<listitem><para>
Tools for configuring, changing, and
setting up preferences go here. For mail, that means things like
<guimenuitem>Mail Configuration</guimenuitem> and the
<guimenuitem>Virtual Folder Editor</guimenuitem>. For the
<interface>Calendar</interface> and the <interface>Contact
Manager</interface>, it's color, network, and layout
configuration.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term> <guimenu>Help</guimenu>:</term>
<listitem><para>
Select among these items to open the
<application>Help Browser</application>
and read the <application>Ximian Evolution</application> manual.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
<para>
Once you've familiarized yourself with the <interface>main
window</interface> you can start doing things with it. We'll
start with the <guilabel>Summary</guilabel>, which provides a
quick overview of your <application>Ximian
Evolution</application> information.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="basics-summary">
<title>Introducing the Summary</title>
<para>
The Ximian Evolution Summary provides you with a quick
run-down of important information: your appointments for a
given day, how much new mail you have, headlines from
selected news services, and so forth. To see the Summary,
click on the <guibutton>Summary</guibutton> button in the
shortcut bar, or select the <guilabel>Summary</guilabel>
folder in the folder bar.
</para>
<para>
<figure>
<title>The Evolution Summary</title>
<screenshot>
<graphic format="png" fileref="figures/summary" srccredit="Kevin Breit">
</screenshot>
</figure>
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Weather Summary</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
Shows you the latest weather updates from hundreds of cities around the world.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-2" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>News Feeds</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
Displays up to the minute news from your favorite websites.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-3" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Mail Summary</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
Shows you how many email messages you have in your selected folders, waiting to be read.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-4" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Calendar Summary</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
Shows you your calendar.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-5" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Tasks</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
Shows your pending tasks
</para>
<para>
To add additional services to your Summary, or to edit the
existing services, select
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Summary Settings</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="basics-mail">
<title>Introducing Email</title>
<para>
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> email is like other
email programs in several ways:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
It can sort and organize your mail in a wide variety of
ways with folders, searches, and filters.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
It can send and receive mail in HTML or as plain text,
and makes it easy to send and recieve multiple file
attachments.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
It supports multiple mail sources, including <glossterm
linkend="imap">IMAP</glossterm>, <glossterm
linkend="pop">POP3</glossterm>, local
<filename>mbox</filename> and <filename>mh</filename>
spools and files created by other mail programs.
<!-- NOT FOR 1.0, but maybe later
and even NNTP messages (newsgroups), which aren't
technically email.
-->
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
It lets you guard your privacy with encryption.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
However, <application>Ximian Evolution</application> has some
important differences. First, it's built to handle very large
amounts of mail. Both the <link
linkend="usage-mail-organize-filters">filtering</link> and
<link linkend="usage-mail-organize-search">searching</link>
functions were built for speed and efficiency on large volumes
of mail. There's also the <application>Ximian Evolution</application>
<link linkend="usage-mail-organize-vFolders">vFolder</link>,
an advanced organizational feature not found in mainstream
mail clients. If you get a lot of mail, or if you keep every
message you get in case you need to refer to it later, you'll
find this feature especially useful.
</para>
<para>
Here's what the mailer looks like:
<!-- ==============Figure=================================== -->
<figure id="usage-mail-intro-fig">
<title>Ximian Evolution Mail</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Inbox</screeninfo>
<mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/mail-inbox" format="png" srccredit="Kevin Breit">
</imageobject></mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</figure>
<!-- ==============End of Figure============================== -->
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1"
format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Email
Viewer</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
This is where your email is displayed.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-2"
format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Message List</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Message List</guilabel> displays all the emails
that you have. This includes all your read, unread, and email
that is flagged to be deleted.
</para>
<para>
If you find the <interface>view pane</interface> too small, you can resize
the pane, enlarge the whole window, or double-click on the
message in the <interface>message list</interface> to have it
open in a new window. To change the sizes of a pane, just click
and hold on the divider between the two panes. Then you can drag
up and down to select the size of the panes.
</para>
<para> Just like with folders, you can right-click on messages in the
message list and get a menu of possible actions: you can move,
delete, or undelete them, and create filters or vFolders based
on them.
</para>
<para>
Most of the mail-related actions you'll want to perform are
listed in the <guimenu>Message</guimenu> menu in the menu bar.
The most frequently used ones, like
<guimenuitem>Reply</guimenuitem> and
<guimenuitem>Forward</guimenuitem>, also appear as buttons in
the toolbar. Almost all of them are also located in the
right-click menu and as keyboard shortcuts, which tend to be
faster once you get the hang of them. You can choose
whichever way you like best; the idea is that the software
should work the way you want, rather than making you work the
way the it does.
</para>
<para>
For an in-depth guide to the email capabilities of Ximian
Evolution, read <xref linkend="usage-mail">.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="basics-calendar">
<title>Introducing the Calendar</title>
<para>
To begin using the calendar, select
<guibutton>Calendar</guibutton> from the <interface>shortcut
bar</interface>. By default, the calendar starts showing
today's schedule on a ruled background. At the upper right,
there's a monthly calendar you can use to switch days. Below
that, there's a <guilabel>Task</guilabel> pad, where you can
keep a list of tasks separate from your calendar appointments.
The day view in the calendar looks like this:
<!-- ============== Figure ============================= -->
<figure id="usage-calendar-fig">
<title>Ximian Evolution Calendar View</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Ximian Evolution Contact Manager Window</screeninfo>
<mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/calendar" format="png" srccredit="Aaron Weber">
</imageobject></mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</figure>
<!-- ============== End of Figure ============================= -->
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1"
format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Appointment
List</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Appointment List</guilabel> is responsible for showing you all of
your scheduled appointments, whether they are all day appointments or simply one time
appointments that last a half an hour.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-2" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
<guilabel>Task List</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Task List</guilabel> compliments the
<guilabel>Appointment List </guilabel> as it keeps track of
tasks which don't have a time associated with them. Tasks can
have complex notes associated with them, and you can also note
their completeness on a percentage scale.
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-3" format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject>
<guilabel>Calendar Window</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Calendar Window</guilabel> has a graphical representation of
the calendar, so you can select what days to view in the <guilabel>Appointment
List</guilabel>.
</para>
<para>
For more information about the calendar
read <xref linkend="usage-calendar">.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="basics-contacts">
<title>Introducing the Address Book</title>
<para>
The <application>Ximian Evolution</application> address book
can handle all of the functions of an address book, phone
book, or Rolodex. Of course, it's a lot easier to update
<application>Ximian Evolution</application> than it is to
change an actual paper book. <application>Ximian
Evolution</application> also allows easy synchronization with
hand-held devices and functions with <glossterm
linkend="ldap">LDAP</glossterm> directories on a network.
</para>
<para>
Another advantage of the <application>Ximian Evolution</application>
address book is its integration with the rest of the
application. For example, you can create an address card from
an email just by right-clicking on the sender's email address.
</para>
<para>
To open your address book, click on
<guibutton>Contacts</guibutton> in the shortcut bar, or select
one of your contacts folders from the folder bar. <xref
linkend="usage-contact-fig"> shows the address book in all its
organizational glory. By default, the address book shows all
your cards in alphabetical order, in a <glossterm
linkend="minicard">minicard</glossterm> view. You can select
other views from the <guimenu>View</guimenu> menu, and adjust
the width of the columns by clicking and dragging the grey
column dividers.
</para>
<para>
The address book looks like this:
<figure id="usage-contact-fig">
<title>Ximian Evolution Contact Interface</title>
<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Ximian Evolution Contact List Window</screeninfo>
<mediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/contact" format="png" srccredit="Kevin Breit">
</imageobject></mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</figure>
</para>
<para>
<inlinemediaobject><imageobject><imagedata fileref="figures/full-1"
format="png"></imageobject></inlinemediaobject> <guilabel>Contact
List</guilabel>
</para>
<para>
The <guilabel>Contact List</guilabel> lists your contacts.
</para>
<para>
For detailed instructions on how to use the address book,
read <xref linkend="usage-contact">.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
</chapter>