StartPage Beginners Guide

Beginners Info:

Start pages are just like websites - but they're not hosted on the internet. They're built in the same way (With HTML and CSS, or other 'languages') and can have the same functionality and features, like animations, clocks, weather updates, newsfeeds, searches, embedded media etc.
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Getting Started:

	The simplest way to begin is to find someone else's start page that you like, and then edit it yourself. Here are two links for startpages (Popular Github repo's and an Imgur gallery):

	Popular start pages: http://pastebin.com/nEq2KqSw

	Previously submitted pages: http://imgur.com/a/j0NHf

	NOTICE: Some startpages will require more than html. Some rely on javascript and css to add extra functionality and looks. Make sure that when you find a startpage that you like, you download ALL the necessary files... Not just the html.
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Using Your Start Page:

	Now that you have a startpage you like, you probably want to set it up so that your browser will use it. First thing to do is to find where you saved the html file (and .js and .css if they were included). The process here will differ depending on what browser that your using, and what operating system you're running. To specify a file on a *nix based system (Arch, Ubuntu, Mac, etc) you need to use forward-slashes (/). If you're on a Windows machine you must use backslashes "\". Another important distinction to make is that you must escape the first backslash with a second one "\\" because backslashes are considered special characters on the Windows operating system.

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						       #Chrome#
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**To be added at a later date, probably by someone else**

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						       #Firefox#
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You have a couple options here. The first and probably easiest way is to use this extension: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/custom-new-tab/ (NOTICE: At the time of writing this addon is not compatible with Firefox versions 40 and above) . You will be able to specify a url to load anytime that you open a new tab. This includes files located on your hardrive.

	The other, more in depth way that doesn't require any addons is as follows. Go to the address bar and type in about:config . If this is your first time doing this, you will get a warning telling you that it's possible to seriously screw up your installation of firefox. Take heed and don't go off the beaten path. Search for browser.newtab.url. Once found you can edit the value found in the column to it's right. You must begin with "file://" (or "file:\" if you're on windows) This is important as it tells firefox to look for a file instead of a url. After that type in the path/to/your/start/page/index.html. As long as the path you've entered is correct, when you open a new tab, you're downloaded startpage will be used.

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       						     #IE / Edge:#
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**To be added at a later date, probably by someone else**

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						       	#Opera#
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**To be added at a later date, probably by someone else**

	If you're using an unlisted browser: you're gonna have to research it yourself, or request that we add the instructions to here.
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Editing and Customizing:

	Now that you have successfully downloaded your first startpage, and made pointed your browser to it, why don't you spruce it up? To do this, you're going to need to know basic (or more advanced, depending upon what you want to do) HTML, CSS and Javascript.

	- Learn some basic HTML and CSS to build your own here:
	https://www.codecademy.com/courses/web-beginner-en-HZA3b/0/1?curriculum_id=50579fb998b470000202dc8b

	- Html5 Reference Page
	http://www.w3schools.com/tags/

	- CSS Reference Page
	http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/default.asp

	- Javascript Tutorial
	http://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp

Of course, any great way to learn something is to fiddle around with it, so you should try that too! Look at other anon's code, try to guess what it does. Change some small things and see how that affects the whole page!
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A Long Slow Goodbye:

That's it! You're ready to begin! Post on the Startpage threads with any criticism, advice, critiques, cries for help, etc, etc. Someone is always there.