How to get help

Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3.x

Chapter 1: Introducing OpenOffice.org

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• The advantages of OpenOffice.org
• Minimum requirements
• How to get and install the software
• How to get help
• Starting OpenOffice.org
• Parts of the main window
• Parts of a dialog (box)
• Starting a new document
• Opening an existing document
• Saving, renaming, and deleting documents
• Using the Open and Save As dialogs
• Using the Navigator
• Undoing and redoing changes
• Closing a document

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This book, the other OOo user guides, the built-in Help, and user support systems assume that you are familiar with your computer and basic functions such as starting a program, opening and saving files.

Help system

OOo comes with an extensive Help system. This is your first line of support for using OOo.

To display the full Help system, press F1 or select OpenOffice.org Help from the Help menu. In addition, you can choose whether to activate tooltips, extended tips, and the Help Agent (using Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > General).

If Tips are enabled, place the mouse pointer over any of the icons to see a small box (“tooltip”) with a brief explanation of the icon’s function. For a more detailed explanation, select Help > What's This? and hold the pointer over the icon.

Free online support

The OpenOffice.org community not only develops software, but provides free, volunteer-based support. Users of OOo can get comprehensive online support from community venues such as newsgroups, forums, or mailing lists. There are also numerous websites run by users that offer free tips and tutorials.

• Users Mailing List. Free community support provided by a network of hundreds of experienced users. You must be subscribed to post messages. To subscribe, send a blank email to users-subscribe@openoffice.org. List archives are here.

• Documentation Project. Templates, user guides, how-tos, and other documentation. http://documentation.openoffice.org/, See also the Documentation wiki (where you are now).

• Native Language Project. Information, resources, and mail lists in your language.

• Mac Support. Support for installing and using the Mac OS X

• OpenOffice.org Community Forum. Extensive discussion forum for OpenOffice.org issues from setup to advanced programming features.
• OpenOffice.org Macro Information. Andrew Pitonyak, the author of OpenOffice.org Macros Explained, maintains this site, which provides extensive documentation on OOo's macro capability. Many good referral links are also provided.

Read more about the support options for OOo at http://support.openoffice.org/index.html

Paid support and training

Alternatively, you can pay for support services. Service contracts can be purchased from a vendor or consulting firm specializing in OpenOffice.org.

OOo is supported by Sun Microsystems, Inc. under the Sun Software Support program, which includes two levels of support that cover extended business hours or around-the-clock service for mission-critical deployments.

A list of independent consultants and the services they offer, listed alphabetically by region and then by country, is provided on the OpenOffice.org website.