# Getting Started

## Running &app;

&app; can be run from your desktop main menu by selecting the associated menu entry.

Alternatively it can be run from a shell (command line) with the command `gnucash`.

During the loading of the &app; main window you will see the &app; Splash Screen where some information about the program itself and the loading process are displayed.

### Cannot find default values screen

The very first time you run &app; you will be presented with the Cannot find default values screen that contains three buttons:

- Quit — exits &app;.

- Skip — continue without setting default display values for &app;.

- Setup — will open the Update &app; Configuration Data assistant (see ) to start the setup process for a new set of default settings.

### Update &app; Configuration Data assistant

The first screen of Update &app; Configuration Data describes the assistant. While the data on the screen will change, the three buttons at the very bottom of the assistant will not.

- Cancel — exits the assistant.

  If you click this button, any selections you have made up to this point will be lost.

- Back — brings up the previous screen so that you can change a previous selection until the first screen.

- Forward — brings up the next screen so you can continue through the assistant.

The second screen allows you to Choose a Method of setting gconf configuration for &app;. The Update Search Path button will modify `.gconf` path in the user’s home directory. The Install in Home Directory button on this screen will install the configuration files in the `.gconf` directory in the user’s home directory.

After making your selection click the Forward button to display the next screen.

If you selected Install in Home Directory the next screen presents you with three options:

- &app; will install the data.

- You will install the data yourself.

- The data has already been loaded.

If you selected Update Search Path the next screen presents you with three options:

- &app; will update search path.

- You will update search path yourself.

- The update search path has already been updated.

The final screen has the usual three buttons, with the difference that Forward has changed to Apply. Click the Apply button to complete the initial defaults setting process. The Welcome to &app; screen (see ) will now be opened.

### Welcome to &app; dialog

After the initial defaults are completed, you will be presented with the Welcome to &app;! dialog with three choices:

- Create a new set of accounts — Runs the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant (see ). Select this option if you want to be assisted in creating a set of accounts.

- Import my QIF files — Runs the Import QIF Files assistant (see ). Select this option if you already have Quicken files (`.qif` files) from another financial application and wish to import them into &app;.

- Open the new user tutorial — Opens the &app; Tutorial and Concepts Guide. Select this option if you are completely new to &app; and accounting concepts.

It is possible to run these items after you have made a choice here, but the Welcome to &app;! screen will not reappear. To try one of the other choices later, read , and to see how to start them from the &app; menu.

This screen is intended for you to use to get up and running quickly. The Cancel button is used to exit the screen. It will then prompt you with Display Welcome Dialog Again?. If you do not want to see the Welcome to &app;! menu again click the No button. Click the Yes button or press the keyboard Enter key for the default which is to have the Welcome to &app;! screen run again.

Selecting either of these options will leave you with a minimum &app; main window. Operations in this window are described in .

## New Account Hierarchy Setup

This assistant helps you to create a set of &app; accounts. It will appear if you choose Create a new set of accounts in the Welcome to &app;! menu.

This will create a new blank &app; file and then automatically start the New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant.

To start this assistant manually, go to File New if you need to create a new file. If you want to run the assistant within the opened file, go to Actions New Account Hierarchy... when the accounts tree tab is displayed.

1. The New Account Hierarchy Setup assistant opens with a screen that briefly describes what this assistant does. The three buttons at the very bottom of the screen will not change while using the assistant.

   - Cancel — exit the process and cancel creating a new set of accounts.

     If you click this button, any selections you have made up to this point will be lost.

   - Back — brings up the previous screen so that you can change a previous selection until the first screen.

   - Forward — brings up the next screen so you can continue through the assistant.

2. The next screen allows you to Choose Currency to use as default for your accounts.

   - The Currency: drop down list defaults to the currency configured in the Accounts tab under &app; Preferences (see ). If you wish your accounts to use a different default currency, select one from the list.

   - The Forward button is used to confirm your selection and continue to the next screen.

3. The next screen is used to Choose accounts to create.

   You will see a screen divided into three parts.

   - The left upper portion has a list of Categories for commonly used hierarchies of accounts. Select from this list the types of accounts you wish to use. You can select as many of the categories of accounts as you wish.

   - The left lower section has a Category Description that displays a detailed description of the category currently highlighted.

   - The right side has a list of the Accounts that will be created from the selected category.

   - The Select All button allows you to include all of the account categories.

   - The Clear All button allows you to deselect all of the categories selected.

4. The next screen allows you to Setup selected accounts by entering the opening balances and by selecting if the account is a placeholder.

   Equity accounts do not have opening balances so the opening balance value for this kind of accounts is locked and set to zero by &app;

   Placeholder accounts are used to create a hierarchy of accounts and normally do not have transactions or opening balances.

   Follow the instructions in the display on how to select the account and entering an opening balance for the account. A single click is used to highlight an account.

   - The left side of the screen has a list of Account Names. Select an account by "clicking" once in the Account Names column with the account highlighted. This will open the account name for changes.

   - The right side of the screen has a check-box to make an account a Placeholder and a box to add the Opening Balance for the selected account. Again a single click in the Opening Balance or Placeholder column will open the field for changes.

5. The Finish account setup is the last screen and gives you a final list of the three choices to finish the assistant.

   - Cancel — exits the assistant and cancels creating a new set of accounts.

     If you click this button, any selections you have made up to this point will be lost.

   - Back — brings up the previous screen so that you can change a previous selection until the first screen.

   - Apply — creates the accounts you have selected.

You should now have a hierarchy of accounts in your main &app; account window.

## Import QIF Files

This Assistant helps you import Quicken QIF files. It will appear if you choose Import my QIF files in the Welcome to &app;! menu.

To start this assistant manually go to File Import ... Import QIF....

In the following all the screens that you can see in this assistant are described in order of appearance.

1. The Import QIF files assistant opens with a screen that briefly describes what this assistant does and requests the file(s) to import. The three buttons at the very bottom of the screen will not change while using the assistant.

   - Cancel — exit the process and cancel importing QIF files.

     If you click this button, any selections you have made up to this point will be lost.

   - Back — brings up the previous screen so that you can change a previous selection until the first screen.

   - Forward — brings up the next screen so you can continue through the assistant.

2. The next screen allows you to Select a QIF file to load. The Select... button on this screen is used to access the list of files. The Select... button brings up the Select QIF File dialog.

   Navigate to where you have stored your QIF files and select the first one then click Import. The next screen will display it in the Select a QIF File to Load field.

   If the file you are loading does not have an QIF date listed in it you will see the Set a date format for this QIF file screen. Select the proper format from the pull down list and continue.

   If the file you are loading does not have an account name listed in it you will see the Set the default QIF account name screen. Otherwise you will skip this screen and go on to the screen in the next section that shows loaded QIF files.

   - The Account name: field is used to set an account name for this QIF file.

3. The next screen shows you the QIF files you have loaded. You can use this screen to return to the previous screen and load more QIF files. It will also let you unload any files you have loaded by mistake.

   - The top panel shows the list of QIF Files you have loaded.

   - The Load another file button takes you back to the previous screen to load another QIF file.

   - The Unload selected file button allows you to select a file from the top panel and remove it from the list.

   When you have selected all the QIF files to be imported, click the Forward button.

4. Depending on the type of data contained in the QIF files to be imported, you may see only one or all of the following screens:

   Accounts and stock holdings

     This screen gives a description of the Accounts and stock holdings matching process on the following Match QIF accounts with &app; accounts screen.

     This and other informational screens in the Import QIF files assistant can be turned off in the Online Banking tab (see ) under &app; Preferences.

     The next screen lets you Match QIF accounts with &app; accounts. You will see a list of QIF account names on the left and suggested &app; account names on the right. The New? column indicates if the &app; account name will be created by the QIF Import.

     To change the &app; account to a different one select the QIF account. A screen will pop up to select another account or create a new one.

     - Select an account from the list to choose a already existing account.

     - The New Account button allows you to add a new account name as a sub-account (child of selected) of the selected account.

     - The OK button is used to confirm your selection.

     - The Cancel button is used to exit the dialog without using any changes you have made.

   Income and Expense categories

     This screen gives a description of the Income and Expense categories matching process on the following Match QIF categories with &app; accounts screen.

     This and other informational screens in the Import QIF files assistant can be turned off in the Online Banking tab (see ) under &app; Preferences.

     The next screen lets you Match QIF categories with &app; accounts. You will see a list of QIF category names on the left and suggested &app; account names on the right. The New? column indicates if the &app; account name will be created by the QIF Import.

     To change the &app; account to a different one select the QIF category. A dialog will pop up to select another account or create a new one.

     - Select an account from the list to choose a already existing account.

     - The New Account button allows you to add a new account name as a sub-account (child of selected) of the selected account.

     - The OK button is used to confirm your selection.

     - The Cancel button is used to exit the dialog without using any changes you have made.

   Payees and memos

     This screen gives a description of the Payees and memos matching process on the following Match payees/memos to &app; accounts screen.

     This and other informational screens in the Import QIF files assistant can be turned off in the Online Banking tab (see ) under &app; Preferences.

     The next screen lets you Match payees/memos to &app; accounts. You will see a list of QIF payee/memo names on the left and suggested &app; account names on the right. The default &app; account used is called Unspecified. The New? column indicates if the &app; account name will be created by the QIF Import.

     To change the &app; account to a different one select the QIF payee/memo. A dialog will pop up to select another account or create a new one.

     - Select an account from the list to choose a already existing account.

     - The New Account button allows you to add a new account name as a sub-account of the selected account.

     - The OK button is used to confirm your selection.

     - The Cancel button is used to exit the dialog without using any changes you have made.

5. The next screen allows you to Enter the QIF file currency. The drop down list defaults to the currency configured in the Accounts tab (see ) under &app; Preferences. If you wish the new accounts to use a different currency, select one from the list.

   When you have selected the currency, click the Forward button.

6. Depending on the type of data contained in the QIF files to be imported, you may or may not see one or more of the following screens:

   Tradable Commodities

     This screen gives a description of the Tradable Commodities process on the screen.

     This and other informational screens in the Import QIF files assistant can be turned off in the Online Banking tab (see ) under &app; Preferences.

     A series of screens, one for each of the stock, mutual fund, or commodity, displays the exchange, full name, and symbol for each of the commodities listed in the QIF file you are importing so that you can check them before proceeding.

   Match duplicate transactions

     This screen gives a description of the Match duplicate transactions process on the following Select possible duplicates screen.

     This and other informational screens in the Import QIF files assistant can be turned off in the Online Banking tab (see ) under &app; Preferences.

     The next screen lets you Select possible duplicate transactions. Imported transactions are shown on the left panel and possible matches to each selected transaction are shown on the right.

     - The left panel shows the list of Imported transactions to select from for matching duplicates

     - The right panel shows the list of possible duplicates for the selected imported transaction. Select the one that most closely matches

7. The last screen, Update your &app; accounts, gives you a list of three choices to finish the assistant.

   - Cancel — exit the process and cancel importing QIF files.

     If you click this button, any selections you have made up to this point will be lost.

   - Back — brings up the previous screen so that you can change a previous selection until the first screen.

   - Forward — imports the data and creates the accounts you have specified.

You should now have successfully imported your accounts.

Imported transactions might need to be reconciled. This process is described in the &app; Tutorial and Concepts guide.

## Tip of The Day

The Tip of the Day screen starts whenever you start &app; unless it has been disabled in the &app; Preferences. It gives tips on features and using &app;. You can use the three buttons at the bottom of the screen to look through the tips.

Close

  Dismiss the Tip of the Day screen

Prev

  Shows the previous tip

Forward

  Shows the next tip

The Show tips at startup check-box is used to enable or disable the Tip of the Day from running at &app; start-up.

It is also possible to configure the Tip of the Day to run at start-up under the General tab in &app; Preferences. The Tip of the Day can also be manually run by going to Help Tip of the Day.