[Mono-list] getting started

[Darren Crotchett]

I'm trying to give mono a try.  My questions in a nutshell is, "Where should I 
start?"  Is there a page for Mono newbies?

I've downloaded:

	o   winelib-0.2.tar.gz
	o   xsp-0.13.tar.gz
	o   mod_mono-0.9.tar.gz
	o   monodoc-0.15.tar.gz
	o   mcs-0.91.tar.gz
	o   mono-0.91.tar.gz

I started out by compiling mono-0.91.tar.gz.  I'm just not sure what all I'm 
going to need.  Some of the things that I'm trying to accomplish are:

	o   try out mono applications like iFolder
	o   see if I can run a simple  .NET app I created in WindowsXP
	o   build a new GUI app in Linux using mono and try it in WinXP

<rant>
No offense to anyone, but in my opinion, the web page is a horrible mess.  
Everything seems to be thrown together with no thought as to how someone new 
to mono might approach learning it.

There are 88 (yes, I counted them) links on the left hand side of the page 
http://www.go-mono.com/compiling.html.  That's just down the left hand side 
of the page.  There are 6 more links on the top of the page and who knows how 
many scattered throughout the page.  Many of the links are not descriptive.  

Somebody with some organizational skills really needs to work on this page.

Sometimes the state of Linux and Open Source in general seems so advanced.  
And, at other times, it's like in its infancy.  Stuff like the following 
really gets on my nerves:

[root@localhost src]# rpm -ivh ifolder-0.8.20040521-1.i686.rpm
error: Failed dependencies:
        addressbook = 0.8.20040521 is needed by ifolder-0.8.20040521-1
        simias = 0.8.20040521 is needed by ifolder-0.8.20040521-1
        mono-core >= 0.91 is needed by ifolder-0.8.20040521-1
        mono-data >= 0.91 is needed by ifolder-0.8.20040521-1
        mono-posix >= 0.91 is needed by ifolder-0.8.20040521-1
        mono-remoting >= 0.91 is needed by ifolder-0.8.20040521-1
        mono-nunit >= 0.91 is needed by ifolder-0.8.20040521-1
        gtk-sharp >= 0.91 is needed by ifolder-0.8.20040521-1
</rant>

My apologies for the rants.  I realize that they might offend some and will 
not likely generate good helpful responses to my question, but sometimes you 
just have to get crap off your chest.

TIA,
Darren