# HG changeset patch # User Arun Giridhar # Date 1714695082 14400 # Node ID c1e5ee7d07b55b6c553e483af9c0e623df7e3135 # Parent ffc7bb75ea3e15e703397e0513cbdcae9a93a674# Parent d1ecff72ff5b38d742d75d6246fc8b5664a8ea9b maint: Merge stable to default diff -r ffc7bb75ea3e -r c1e5ee7d07b5 doc/interpreter/intro.txi --- a/doc/interpreter/intro.txi Thu May 02 16:38:45 2024 -0700 +++ b/doc/interpreter/intro.txi Thu May 02 20:11:22 2024 -0400 @@ -52,19 +52,24 @@ @node Running Octave @section Running Octave -On most systems, Octave is started with the shell command @samp{octave}. -This starts the graphical user interface. The central window in the GUI -is the Octave command-line interface. In this window Octave displays an -initial message and then a prompt indicating it is ready to accept -input. If you have chosen the traditional command-line interface then -only the command prompt appears in the same window that was running -a shell. In either case, you can immediately begin typing Octave -commands. +If you installed Octave from an installer program, it will likely have +created some icons on your desktop for you to start Octave, either with +the graphical user interface (GUI) or a command line interface (CLI). +You can also typically find Octave in the "Start Menu" or equivalent +of your computer. You can also type @code{octave} in a command shell; +as long as you have Octave in your path, it will start. + +If you start Octave with the GUI, the central window is the Octave's +own command-line interface (also called a REPL by other programming languages +for Read-Evaluate-Print-Loop). In this window Octave displays an +initial message and then a prompt like @code{>> } or @code{octave:1> } +indicating it is ready to accept input. If you have chosen the traditional +command-line interface then the command prompt appears in the same window +that was running a command shell. In either case, you can immediately begin +typing Octave commands. If you get into trouble, you can usually interrupt Octave by typing -@kbd{Control-C} (written @kbd{C-c} for short). @kbd{C-c} gets -its name from the fact that you type it by holding down @key{CTRL} and -then pressing @key{c}. Doing this will normally return you to Octave's +@kbd{Control-C}. Doing this will normally return you to Octave's prompt. @cindex exiting octave @@ -72,7 +77,7 @@ To exit Octave, type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{exit} at the Octave prompt. On systems that support job control, you can suspend Octave by sending -it a @code{SIGTSTP} signal, usually by typing @kbd{C-z}. +it a @code{SIGTSTP} signal, usually by typing @kbd{Ctrl-z}. @node Simple Examples @section Simple Examples @@ -83,8 +88,10 @@ If you are new to Octave, we recommend that you try these examples to begin learning Octave by using it. Lines marked like so, -@samp{octave:13>}, are lines you type, ending each with a carriage -return. Octave will respond with an answer, or by displaying a graph. +@samp{octave:13>} or @samp{>> }, are lines you type, ending each with a +carriage return. (Don't type the text @samp{octave:13>} itself! That is only +the Octave prompt, which also looks like @code{>> } in the GUI. +Octave will respond to your commands with an answer, or by displaying a graph. @subsection Elementary Calculations