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1 -*- text -*-
2
3 For information on getting XEmacs, see the files DISTRIB and
4 MAILINGLISTS in the .../etc/ directory of the XEmacs distribution.
5
6
7 Getting GNU Software, 14 May 94
8 Copyright (C) 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
9
10
11 Permission is granted to anyone to make or distribute verbatim
12 copies of this document provided that the copyright notice and
13 this permission notice are preserved, and that the distributor
14 grants the recipient permission for further redistribution as
15 permitted by this notice.
16
17
18 * GNU and the Free Software Foundation
19
20 Project GNU is organized as part of the Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21 The Free Software Foundation has the following goals: 1) to create GNU
22 as a full development/operating system. 2) to distribute GNU and
23 other useful software with source code and permission to copy and
24 redistribute.
25
26 Further information on the rationale for GNU is in file
27 `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/GNU' (all files referred to are on the Internet host
28 prep.ai.mit.edu).
29
30 Information on GNU Internet mailing lists and gnUSENET newsgroups can
31 be found in `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/MAILINGLISTS'.
32
33 * How To Get The Software
34
35 The easiest way to get a copy of the distribution is from someone else
36 who has it. You need not ask for permission to do so, or tell any one
37 else; just copy it. The second easiest is to ftp it over the
38 Internet. The third easiest way is to uucp it. Ftp and uucp
39 information is in `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/FTP'.
40
41 If you cannot get a copy any of these ways, or if you would feel more
42 confident getting copies straight from us, or if you would like to get
43 some funds to us to help in our efforts, you can order one from the
44 Free Software Foundation. See `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/DISTRIB' and
45 `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/ORDERS'.
46
47 * What format are the *.gz files in?
48
49 Because the unix `compress' utility is patented (by two separate
50 patents, in fact), we cannot use it; it's not free software.
51
52 Therefore, the GNU Project has chosen a new compression utility,
53 `gzip', which is free of any known software patents and which tends to
54 compress better anyway. As of March 1993, all compressed files in the
55 GNU anonymous FTP area, `prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu', have been
56 converted to the new format. Files compressed with this new
57 compression program end in `.gz' (as opposed to `compress'-compressed
58 files, which end in `.Z').
59
60 Gzip can uncompress `compress'-compressed files and `pack'-compressed
61 files (which end in `.z'). This is possible because the various
62 decompression algorithms are not patented---only compression is.
63
64 The gzip program is available from any GNU mirror site (see
65 `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/FTP' for a list of mirror sites) in shar, tar, or
66 gzipped tar format (for those who already have a prior version of gzip
67 and want faster data transmission). It works on virtually every unix
68 system, MSDOS, OS/2, and VMS.
69
70 * Available Software
71
72 ** GNU Emacs
73
74 The GNU Emacs distribution includes:
75 - manual source in TeX format.
76 - an enhanced regex (regular expression) library.
77
78 See files `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/MACHINES*' for the status of porting Emacs
79 to various machines and operating systems.
80
81 ** C Scheme - a block structured dialect of LISP.
82
83 The Free Software Foundation distributes C Scheme for the MIT Scheme
84 Project on its Scheme tapes. The full ftp distribution can be gotten
85 via anonymous FTP from altdorf.ai.mit.edu in directory /archive.
86
87 Problems with the C Scheme distribution and its ftp distribution
88 should be referred to: <bug-cscheme@martigny.ai.mit.edu>. There are
89 two general mailing lists: <info-cscheme@martigny.ai.mit.edu>and
90 <scheme@mc.lcs.mit.edu>. Send requests to join either list to:
91 <info-cscheme-request@martigny.ai.mit.edu> or
92 <scheme-request@mc.lcs.mit.edu>.
93
94 ** Other GNU Software
95
96 A full list of available software are in `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/ORDERS' and
97 `/pub/gnu/DESCRIPTIONS'.
98
99 * No Warranties
100
101 We distribute software in the hope that it will be useful, but without
102 any warranty. No author or distributor of this software accepts
103 responsibility to anyone for the consequences of using it or for
104 whether it serves any particular purpose or works at all, unless he
105 says so in writing.
106
107 * If You Like The Software
108
109 If you like the software developed and distributed by the Free
110 Software Foundation, please express your satisfaction with a donation.
111 Your donations will help to support the foundation and make our future
112 efforts successful, including a complete development and operating
113 system, called GNU (Gnu's Not Un*x), which will run Un*x user
114 programs. Please note that donations and funds raised by selling
115 tapes, CD-ROMs, and floppy diskettes are the major source of funding
116 for our work.
117
118 For more information on GNU and the Foundation, contact us at Internet
119 address <gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu> or the foundation's US Mail address
120 found in file `/pub/gnu/GNUinfo/ORDERS'.