CircleMUD 3.00 README file Welcome to CircleMUD 3.0! I hope you enjoy your stay. Use of this software in any capacity implies that you have read, understood, and agreed to abide by the terms and conditions set down by the CircleMUD license contained in the file license.doc. Also, out of courtesy if nothing else, please keep the 'credits' file intact. You can add your own credits on top of the existing file, but I'd appreciate it if you would not simply remove it and all references to the word "Circle" everywhere in the MUD. Jeremy Elson jelson@jhu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CircleMUD for UNIX QuickStart Guide If you are an experienced MUD implementor and you know what you're doing, you can probably get up and running with this README file alone. Be aware that there's a wealth of other information in the doc directory, though, and if you have problems or questions, that's the first place you should look for answers. If you're using OS/2, read the file README.OS2 first. 1) Make sure you have the latest version of CircleMUD. You can always find the latest version at the following anonymous FTP sites: ftp.cs.jhu.edu:/pub/CircleMUD cambot.res.jhu.edu:/pub/CircleMUD You can also find information at the WWW site: http://www.cs.jhu.edu/~jelson/circle.html Note that as of Version 3.0, the basic CircleMUD distribution only runs under UNIX. CircleMUD users have ported it to the Amiga and OS/2, but it currently cannot run under Microsoft Windows, DOS, or the Mac. 2) The archive is offered in two formats, one which ends in .tar.Z and one which ends in .tar.gz. The files have the same contents but have been compressed using different programs. If you have the .tar.Z version, type: zcat circle30xxx.tar.Z | tar xvf - For the .gz version, type: gunzip -c circle30xxx.tar.Z | tar xvf - This will uncompress the archive and then break it down into all of its component files. 3) Next, build the CircleMUD server. From Circle's root directory, type: ./configure The 'configure' program automatically detects various features of your computer and sets up CircleMUD appropriately. This can take several minutes if you're using a slow computer. Next, type: cd src; make all This will build CircleMUD proper as well as its 10 or so ancillary utilities, which can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour depending on the speed of your computer. Note that in the future, when you need to recompile Circle as you make changes to the code, it is NOT necessary to run 'configure' again (it should be run only once). 4) Back in Circle's root directory, type 'autorun &' to start the server running in the background. A file called 'syslog' will start growing that contains Circle's log messages (and boot messages). 5) Wait until the line 'No connections. Going to sleep.' appears in the syslog. This indicates that the server is ready and waiting for connections. It shouldn't take more than about 30 seconds for the MUD to reach this state, though performance will vary depending on how fast your computer is. 6) Type 'telnet localhost 4000' to connect. The first person to log in will be made an implementor (level 34) with all powers. 7) Make sure to read the CircleMUD license before doing anything else. Other Documentation ------------------- If the 7-step-guide above isn't enough to get you running, there's a lot more information available. All documentation (other than this file) is in the /doc directory. The README file in the /doc directory describes each documentation file in detail, but there are several main files which should be of interest. For the administrative side of mudding, running.doc gives an overall description of how Circle works, how to get it to compile for the first time and get it running, and hints on maintenance and day-to-day administration. For the coding side, coding.doc dives into Circle's code and describes how to add new commands, spells, skills, socials, classes, and whatnot. For the builders in your group, building.doc describes how to create new worlds, including rooms, objects, mobiles, and shops. Getting Help ------------ If you have strange problems -- and you can't figure out the answer by reading the docs -- fear not, there are many other resources you can turn to. The best is probably the CircleMUD Mailing List, which you can subscribe to by writing mail to "majordomo@pvv.unit.no" with a message body of "subscribe circle". If you want to write mail to the list, address it to "circle@pvv.unit.no". Over 200 CircleMUD imps read that list regularly, so chances are you'll get help quickly. If that doesn't work, you can always contact me directly by writing to jelson@jhu.edu. Or, take a look at the CircleMUD Home Page which is at http://www.cs.jhu.edu/~jelson/circle.html, which may eventually have some on-line documentation for Circle. Finally if you have USENET access and are very brave, you can try posting to the newsgropus rec.games.mud.diku or rec.games.mud.admin. If you write mail asking for help, either to the mailing list or to me, make sure to include the following information: -- The exact version of CircleMUD you're using (type "version"). -- The exact text of any error messages, compilation errors, or the like. -- The exact type of hardware, operating system, and compiler you're using. -- A description of ANY changes you've made, no matter how small, that might have contributed to the error. Note, messages that look like this: "Hi I need some help with CircleMUD. I tried compiling it on my system but I got all sorts of errors, and when I type bin/circle like it says in the manual it doesn't work." are likely to be ignored because they contain no information useful for solving your problem. Good luck, and have fun! Jeremy Elson aka Ras/Rasmussen jelson@jhu.edu Version 2.20 release: November 17, 1993 Version 2.11 release: September 19, 1993 Version 2.10 release: September 1, 1993 Version 2.02 release: Late August Version 2.01 release: Early August Version 2.00 release: July 16, 1993 USE OF THIS SOFTWARE IN ANY CAPACITY IMPLIES THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREED TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET DOWN BY THE CIRCLEMUD LICENSE.