Introduction
Well, it wouldn't be school without homework. So here's your assignment: Install the OpenOffice.org office suite for your platform. Then, install LilyPond. Finally, download and install the OooLilyPond extension for OpenOffice. Detailed instructions below.
Install OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org is a full-featured office suite that includes spreadsheet, database, math equation editor, word processor and presentation programs. You can use these applications for all of the functions you may have used Microsoft Office or other office suites for in the past. Of course, OpenOffice.org is open-source, which means it's freely available and void of restrictive license terms.
To get the latest version of OpenOffice.org for your platform, go to the download website and select the link for your architecture and operating system. If you're a GNU/Linux user, your distribution most likely comes with OpenOffice pre-installed. If it doesn't, it's almost certainly available through your package manager. Of course, you can always get the latest binaries for almost any Linux system from the link above. After you save the the file, install it on your computer in the usual manner.
Install LilyPond
LilyPond is a text-based music typesetting program that rivals (and in many respects, surpasses) the two industry leaders' professional output. The main drawback to using LilyPond is its steep learning curve and lack of a graphical interface. But it's flexibility and features are top-notch. Download the installer for your system from the download page, and then follow the appropriate installation instructions. Be sure to install the latest stable branch of LilyPond, which is version 2.12.3 at the time of this writing.
Install OOoLilyPond extension
The OOoLilyPond extension for OpenOffice.org allows you to put music examples into text documents or presentation slides. In many ways, this configuration is ideal for those in Music Education, where you'll need to make worksheets, tests and quizzes, and other music instruction materials that incorporate text and music on the same page. Download the extension from SourceForge, and save it to a convenient location on your hard drive, such as your desktop. Then, install the extension using the instructions contained in the remainder of this post.
To install the OOoLilyPond extension, first launch OpenOffice Writer (the word processor). Once open, go to the “Tools” menu and select “Extension Manager...”
In the Extension Manager dialog, click “Add.” Browse to the location where you saved the OOoLilyPond extension, select it, and click “Open.”
The extension will be installed, and you'll be returned to the Extension Manager dialog, which will now display the OOoLilyPond extension and a little information about it. Click “Close” to close the dialog and return to the main OpenOffice Writer window.
Next, close all open instances of OpenOffice.org. OpenOffice needs to be closed and relaunched for the extension to become active. Once you've relaunched OpenOffice Writer, you will see a new toolbar at the top of the screen called “OLy.” This is the OOoLilyPond extension that we'll be using in the next post.
In preparation for the next article, learn some LilyPond syntax.
