EmpireMUD README File
                           ---------------------

This is the preliminary release of EmpireMUD, 1.0.  It is based on CircleMUD
3.0 and thus most of the CircleMUD README file has been maintained within this
document.

Information about CircleMUD can be found at its home page:
http://www.circlemud.org

Out of respect for our hard work, I ask that you keep all of my credits in
tact (including the headers in each of the files) and maintain your own
integrity by properly repsecting all contributers.

Paul Clarke
tbgmud@hotmail.com


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@circlemud.org

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Downloading EmpireMUD
---------------------

You can find information at the WWW site:
        http://empiremud.mgon.com/

The archive will be called something like "empiremudXXX.tar.gz" (where
"XXX" is the version number).

Once you download the archive, you must decompress it.  If you have the
.tar.gz version, uncompress it using gzip (GNU unzip) and the tar
archiver.  (Both of these utilities can be downloaded from
ftp.gnu.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu if you don't have them.)  To unpack the
archive on a UNIX system, type:

        gzip -dc empiremudxxx.tar.gz | tar xvf -



Compiling EmpireMUD
-------------------

1)  Configure EmpireMUD for your system.  Empire must be configured using
    the 'configure' program which attempts to guess correct values for
    various system-dependent variables used during compilation.  It uses
    those values to create a 'Makefile' and a header file called 'conf.h'.
    The configure program and all associated resources are the work of
    Jeremy Elson, EmpireMUD has merely adapted them.

    From Empire's root directory, type

        ./configure

    If you're using 'csh' on an old version of System V, csh might try to
    execute 'configure' itself, giving you a message like "Permission denied"
    when you try to run "./configure".  If so, type "sh ./configure" instead.

    'configure' can take several minutes if you're using a slow computer.

    'configure' will attempt to use the 'gcc' compiler if it exists; if not,
    it will try 'cc'.  If you want to use a different compiler, set the
    'CC' environment variable to the name of the compiler you wish to use.

    For example, if you want to use the 'xlc' compiler, and your shell is
    csh or tcsh:

	setenv CC xlc
	./configure

    Or, if you want to use the 'xlc' compiler, and your shell is sh or bash:

	CC=xlc ./configure

    This will tell 'configure' to use the 'xlc' compiler instead of 'gcc'.


2)  Build the EmpireMUD server.  This must be done from the 'src' directory.
    Type:
   
        cd src; make all

    This will build EmpireMUD proper as well as its 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 Empire as you make
    changes to the code, it is NOT necessary to run 'configure' again (it
    should only be run once, after the first time you unpack Empire from
    its .tar file).  If you move the source code to a different computer,
    you should reconfigure it by deleting the file 'config.cache' and
    running 'configure' again.

    The first time you try to compile Empire, you will be asked to read the
    CircleMUD license.  Please read it!


3)  To select a port for your mud: edit the autorun file and find the
    PORT variable it plans to use.  You should check with your server
    administrator to see which port you are allowed to run off of.  You
    should also change the default port in config.c.


4)  Go back to Empire's root directory (by typing "cd ..") and run the
    EmpireMUD server.  The easiest way to do this the first time is
    to use the 'autorun' script, which can be run in the background by
    typing:

        ./autorun &

    Make sure to do this in Empire's root directory, not the src directory
    that you used for the previous step.  A file called 'syslog' will start
    growing in the same directory that contains Empire's log messages.

    If you're using 'csh' on an old version of System V, csh might try to
    execute 'autorun' itself, giving you a message like "Permission denied"
    when you try to run "./autorun".  If so, type "sh ./autorun &" instead.

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.

    If a file appears called 'syslog.CRASH', the MUD has terminated
    (probably abnormally).  Check the contents of syslog.CRASH to see
    what error was encountered.


6)  Type 'telnet localhost 4000' to connect.  The first person to log in
    will be made an implementor (max level) with all powers.


For a small, private MUD, or a MUD used only for testing and development,
about 30 megs of disk space and 12 megs of memory should be sufficient.
For large, public MUDs with a large player base, 40 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; EmpireMUD uses virtually no CPU
time.


Other Documentation
-------------------

The EmpireMUD documentation project is not complete.  If you need help you
may e-mail me or see if the CircleMUD documentation will help.  I've left
in-tact all CircleMUD documentation except that which would give you mis-
leading information (like the building.doc, which describes Circle's
files but would not work for Empire).

Paul Clarke
tbgmud@hotmail.com


CircleMUD Documentation
-----------------------

/doc/Circle/

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 and available on-line at http://www.circlemud.org.

The README file in the doc directory describes each documentation file
in detail, but there are several main files which should be of interest:

"The CircleMUD Administrator's Guide" (admin.txt, admin.ps)
    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 Coder's Manual" (coding.txt, coding.ps)
    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, syserr.ps)
    A comprehensive list of all the possible SYSERR messages CircleMUD 
can generate, 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.  The best is probably just to e-mail me.

Often you can get help at http://www.mudconnect.com/, their message boards
are full of intelligent coders who can help.

No matter how you choose to get help, make sure to always include the
following information in your mail:

  -- The exact version of EmpireMUD you're using (e.g., "EmpireMUD 0.0 Alpha",
     "EmpireMUD 0.0, Beta", 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.
  -- Some information from your gdb or other debugger log.
  -- Your syslog.CRASH

Please remember that I get a lot of mail every day and can only help you if
you give me the proper information.  I will NOT log into your server and fix
things for you, so please don't ask.

Paul Clarke
Gideon Six
tbgmud@hotmail.com


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.