====== FAQ ======

Mail [[pardus@cpan.org|pardus]] if you have questions that you would like to see answered below.


=== How do I create a new page? ===
You can just link non-existing pages. If you follow such a link the page will be created automatically when needed.


=== How do you close these "tabs" ? ===
Uhm, if you mean the buttons above your page, technically that are not tabs but a path bar keeping track of your history or recent pages. The buttons in this bar map to pages in your browse history, not to open pages or something like that. You can not "close" something that is in your history.


=== How do I organize my pages in a tree structure? ===
You can use "namespaces" to organize your pages. A "namespace" is similar to a directory for files, it is a named group of pages. Namespaces are separated by the "'':''" character in the page name. Thus if you link to "''foo:bar''" you will link to the page called "bar" in the namespace "foo". Just link a non-existing page and follow the link to create it.


=== I would like zim to hide in the system tray. ===
There is a [[zim:usage:plugins|plugin]] for that which can be turned on in the [[zim:usage:preferences|preferences dialog]]. Note that you need to have the ''Gtk2::TrayIcon'' perl module installed to use this plugin.


=== Can I make zim appear with a global keybinding? ===
You can write a simple shell script to start **zim** and bind that to a keybinding in your desktop environment. This is the easiest way to tailor the behavior to your needs.

1. You can use the ''--pidfile'' option to see if there is a running instance.
2. You can use the ''USR1'' kill signal to toggle visibility of **zim**.

A simple example script:

	#!/bin/sh

	DIRECTORY=$HOME/notes/
	PIDFILE=$HOME/.cache/zim.pid

	if [ -e $PIDFILE ]; then
		kill -USR1 `cat $PIDFILE` && exit
	fi

	exec zim --pidfile $PIDFILE $DIRECTORY


=== Can I change the colors used for links, underline etc. ? ===
Yes. Copy "''/usr/share/zim/style.conf''" to "''~/.config/zim/''" and edit as you see fit. See [[usage:styles|styles]] for the syntax of this file.


=== How do I change the toolbar style? ===
You can add the following lines to your ''~/.gtkrc-2.0'' file.

	gtk-toolbar-style     = GTK_TOOLBAR_ICONS
	gtk-toolbar-icon-size = GTK_ICON_SIZE_SMALL_TOOLBAR

This removes text labels in the toolbar and sets the icons to a small size.


=== Can I have encrypted repositories? ===
Personally I don't see much use for encrypted repositories. If you don't want others to read you data you should set the filesystem permissions correctly. If you are afraid your hard drive may fall into the wrong hands, you should use an encrypted filesystem. For those that still want encryption: it might be possible to implement this as a plugin later on.


=== Can I have full calendaring in zim? ===
Well, if you really want to, you can use zim as your agenda. However, the Calendar feature is more intended to keep various kinds of journals or logbooks. I'm very hesitant to add calendaring features because these are usually tied to email applications. I admit that it would be really cool to link notes, emails and appointments, but I have no plans to extend zim to become an email reader.


=== Does it run on windows? ===
Yes it does. You will need to get Perl, Gtk+ and the perl Gtk2 bindings to work though before you can install **Zim**. See the download page on the website for more notes on installing on the win32 platform.

//We are still looking for a volunteer to build and maintain a windows executable.//


=== What about the Gnome HIG? ===
**Zim** tries to follow the [[http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/|HIG]] when practical, but doesn't adhere very strictly to it. Please note that **zim** does not depend on Gnome libraries, only some plugin functions require Gnome.


=== How do I compile a "statically linked" binary? ===
Theoretically you can do this using the [[http://search.cpan.org/~autrijus/PAR/|PAR module]]. Practically speaking there are a number of bugs to fix before this will work.

If you want to give it a try type "./''Build static''" in the source tree on a system that has **zim** installed. This should build a single executable containing perl, gtk+ and **zim** This is a highly experimental build action though. The resulting executable is buggy and may segfault at random. This has not been tested for windows.


=== Do you recommend any other applications? ===
I really like the Thunar file manager and the Mirage image viewer. These are well designed aplications that fit a Gtk+ environment. Xfce is my desktop of choice.

* http://www.xfce.org
* http://thunar.xfce.org
* http://mirageiv.berlios.de
