installing in windows

[David Bobroff]

Orlando,

First I want to recommend strongly that you keep these discussions on the
user list as you will likely get more help that way.  Also, if I steer you
wrong someone will correct me.

>At the moment, I'm just 
>trying to install the damn thing using Windows 2K.  I was supposed to get a 
>package view where I'd select Lilypond.  But if that was indeed present, I 
>sure couldn't tab or mouse to it.  I saw a bunch of other utilities listed, 
>but could not find Lilypond.

I haven't used LilyPond in Windows/cygwin in a long time but I recall that
it is necessary to select the packages for publishing for LilyPond to work.
 As for why you don't seem to be able to find LilyPond, I'm not sure.
Maybe you have to select the publishing packages for LilyPond to be listed
as available.

>How are bar lines indicated?  

LilyPond puts them in automatically.  You can include your own barcheck
points with a | character.

>How would different staves in a 
>score be labeled?
>Could that all be done with ASCII input as well?

It is all done with ASCII.

>What 
>about transposition in case I want to write my scores in concert pitch and 
>then select parts?

Not a problem.  LilyPond has a mechanism for this.

>What about two or three octave leaps?  Are there signs for each octave 
>above or below the central octave?

In relative mode, my preference, one simply uses more 'up' or 'down'
indicators, one for each additional octave.

> >The input file is then processed all at once by LilyPond.
>
>What do you mean by processed?

LilyPond is a batch program.  It is not an interactive music program like
Finale or Sibelius.  The input file is created and saved.  Then LilyPond
processes it and outputs the printed music to a PostScript and/or PDF file
for printing.  It is not necessary to input the entire piece before "viewing".

>I could manage with a proofreader if I could input my own notes and 
>rests.  What about hearing output via midi and/or entering it via midi 
>keyboard?

MIDI output is available for proofing.  It isn't good for much more than
that.  As for input, a MIDI keyboard is not recommended as there may be
lots of quantization errors.  Input via the typing keyboard is the way
LilyPond is designed.  There are other programs for doing input in a manner
similar to commercial programs but I don't use them, and I started out as a
Finale user.

>It will help a lot if I can actually install this thing.

I'll repeat my recommendation for keeping this discussion on the list.
Others may be better equipped to help you with your installation troubles.
Once you have it installed you should read the tutorial as it will answer
many of the questions you've been asking.  Perhaps this will require a
reader to help you.  If, however, you can read web pages either via some
special screen sizing or with text to voice then you can go here to read
the tutorial online:

http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.2/Documentation/user/out-www/lilypond/Tutorial.html

This link takes you to the tutorial section of the docs for version 2.2.2,
the most recent stable version.

-David