Hello,
I am pretty new to Inkscape. Here is what troubles me : how do you edit a path while drawing it? ie, how to you go back over to a previous node and move it, or change it into a hard node, etc? All I get is adding a new node if I click on a previous node.

Thank you very much in advance.

Basically, with the pen tool path selected, you would select the node tool , and once you do, all the nodes in the path with become visible.

You can then left click and hold on a node and move it. Likewise you can left click and hold on the path segment between two nodes and shape the path to your liking.

See here, Chapter 7. Paths, particularly the Editing Paths section:

http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Paths.html

Cheers

I also wanted to add that if you're drawing a path with the pen or pencil, and want to undo the last node you made, or the last few, you can do so without deselecting the pen or pencil and changing to the node tool. Just use backspace -- once for each node you want to undo. It's a quick way to "tweak' your path, without having to start all over. But of course, you can always use the node tool to edit the path later.

Thank you for the answers.
I had hoped there would be some magic combination of crtl or alt+whatever to go back smoothly but using the node tool will do.

Inkscape is great.

Oh, by the way : I have printed and "read" that part of manual but, as you know, the deluge of key combinations is a bit overwhelming and takes quite some time to be sorted out and "absorbed".

Thank you again.