The lower edge of the outer cage plate should clear the top of the outer chain ring by 2mm when looking from the side and perfectly parallel to the rings when looked at from above.
Put chain in smallest ring and largest sprocket and screw in inner (L) limit adjust screw until the inner cage plate clears the chain by no more than 1mm (looking from above). Manually shift chain into largest ring, then release the mech, turn the pedals and the chain should drop into the small ring, if it fails undo the inner limit screw a quarter of a turn until it does.
Having successfully established the mech's resting position you can attach the cable but not before screwing the in-line barrel adjuster all the way in and back out two turns. Pull the cable through with just enough tension to remove any slack. Give the lever a good hard push without turning the pedals (to settle the cable, outer and ferrules), release, and then recheck cable tension.
Back out the outer limit screw, shift into the big ring and then screw the limit screw in until it engages.
If you're lucky you're now finished. Shift up and down, first with the chain on the largest sprocket and then with the chain on the smallest. If it's slow shifting up undo the barrel adjuster, if it's slow going down screw in the barrel adjuster. Half a turn at a time.
Turn the pedals fast and really mash through the gears, up and down several times as a last check. Be a bit brutal with it.
Have a cup of tea.
