GIMP User Manual
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# Chapter 2. Using GIMP

# Starting for the First Time

When you launch GIMP for the first time, you will see a special dialog box. This allows you to setup GIMP to your personal settings, without affecting the way GIMP runs for other users. The first thing you'll see is the license to the GIMP — the GNU General Public License. Click continue if you accept the license.

## User Directory

GIMP now needs to create a directory to hold your personal settings. Under UNIX, Linux, and UNIX-like systems, the directory will be `~/.gimp-1.2`, the tilde (~) means "your home directory" — often `/home/`username``. Under Microsoft Windows the directory location will vary. All the files and directories which will be created are listed on the left-hand side. Click on any of the entries to see what it is for. If you want these files and directories to be created, click Continue. GIMP will give you a list of what was done. You should check this list for any errors and if everything is OK, click Continue again.

## Performance Tuning

To make GIMP perform as well as possible, you can adjust several settings. For storing data about images which are being edited, GIMP uses a section of memory called the "Tile Cache". A good way to decide on a good size for your Tile Cache is to use two-thirds of the RAM available in your system. For example, 32MB would be a good size if your system has 48MB RAM.

Some images are just too big to fit into this cache, and so GIMP can use your hard disk as a type of additional memory. You should set your swap directory to an area on your hard disk which has enough free space — around 200MB. To enhance performance when you have several hard disks, you can set the swap file to the fastest one. To locate a directory, click on the ... button or enter it directly into the box. You should make sure that GIMP shows you a checkmark next to the box, otherwise GIMP can't access the directory.

Once you have made your settings, click Continue.

| You can change these settings later in GIMP's Preferences Dialog.

## Monitor Resolution

Every monitor is slightly different, and, to make images look correct, GIMP needs to know the resolution of your monitor. You may find information on your monitor's resolution in its manual. If you are not sure, click Calibrate. You need to then find a ruler and measure the length of the white bars. Enter their measurements in the horizontal and vertical boxes. You can select the units used for measuring the bars from the drop-down list. Click OK when you have finished calibrating.

When you are ready, click Continue to finish the configuration and start GIMP.

GIMP will show a splash-screen with a progress-bar at the bottom showing what GIMP is doing. When GIMP starts, it looks through all your personal directories for items such as plug-ins and patterns. The first time GIMP starts, this process will take much longer than future times because GIMP creates a "cache" of the files.

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