Updated: Apr 2007 tbaMUD README ------------- All requests for help or bugs should be reported to: builderacademy.net 9091. Information about CircleMUD can be found at the CircleMUD Home Page and FTP: http://www.circlemud.org ftp://ftp.circlemud.org Both of these sites are outdated and no longer maintained. The latest information and downloads can be found at the CWG forums and download section: http://cwg.lazuras.org/modules.php?name=Forums Downloading tbaMUD --------------------- You can find the current version of tbaMUD at the following URL: http://cwg.lazuras.org/modules.php?name=Downloads Compiling ------------------- tbaMUD compiles under a large number of operating systems; instructions for compiling on each platform is can be found in the file doc/README.<system> Many of these instructions are outdated, please feel free to update them. AMIGA - If you are using an Amiga running AmigaDOS. (If you're running NetBSD or Linux on an Amiga, use README.UNIX instead.) ARC - If you are using an Acorn running RiscOS. BORLAND - For those using Borland under Windows. CYGWIN - If you are using Cygwin shell in Windows. MSVC# - If you are using MSVC. OS2 - If you are using OS/2 Warp Connect v3.0 or OS/2 v2.x. UNIX - If you have any type UNIX system, including Linux, MkLinux, Ultrix, HP/UX, Solaris, SunOS, IRIX, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, BSDi, Macintosh OS X, etc. VMS - If you happen to be on OpenVMS. WATCOM - If using WATCOM under Windows. WIN - If you are using Windows. If you are interested in porting tbaMUD to a new platform, see the file doc/porting.txt for some tips. For a small, private MUD, or a MUD used only for testing and development, about 10 megs of disk space and 16 megs of memory should be sufficient. For large, public MUDs with a large player base, 30 megs to 50 megs of disk space and at least 32 megs of memory are recommended. Free memory is much more important than CPU speed; CircleMUD uses virtually no CPU time. Other Documentation ------------------- If this information 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. Most of the files in the /doc directory are old and have not been updated in years, but they still contain a lot of pertinent information. "The CircleMUD Administrator's Guide" (admin.pdf) A good place to start after reading this README file, admin.txt gives an overall description of how Circle works, how to get it to compile and run for the first time, information about customizing and configuration options and command-line arguments, and tips on maintenance and day-to-day MUD administration. "The CircleMUD Builder's Manual" (building.pdf) For the builders in your group, this documents the world-file format and describes how to create new rooms, objects, and monsters. Also, it describes how to add new areas to the MUD and gives some tips about game balance and world-file debugging. "The CircleMUD Coder's Manual" (coding.pdf) For the coders in your group, a technical reference describing some of the more basic coding tasks such as how to add new commands, spells, skills, socials, and classes. Note that it assumes the reader already has an excellent knowledge of C; the manual is not a C tutorial. "The CircleMUD SYSERR List" (syserr.txt) A list of SYSERR messages and a description of what can cause each problem and how to solve it. An excellent guide for troubleshooting and area debugging. Getting Help ------------ If you have strange problems -- and you can't figure out the answer by reading the documentation -- fear not, there are many other resources available. http://cwg.lazuras.org/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/circle-newbies/ http://post.queensu.ca/cgi-bin/listserv/wa?SUBED1=circle&A=1 No matter how you choose to get help, make sure to always include the following information: -- The exact version you are using (i.e., "tbaMUD 3.51", etc.). -- The EXACT text of any error messages, compiler errors, link errors, or any other errors you're getting. -- The exact type of hardware, operating system name and version, and compiler you're using. -- A description of ANY changes you've made, no matter how small, that might have contributed to the error. -- If you are having trouble getting Circle running for the very first time, also be sure to include the output of 'configure' and the file 'config.log'. You may also stop by the Builder Academy at anytime. builderacademy.net 9091 --Rumble