README.FIRST

If you don't read this first, we won't help you.
:-)

******************************* IMPORTANT *************************************

  ************ Note for those who don't bother reading docs ***************
  * - Reading INSTALL is now a must, as the old DPATH is now specified    *
  *   when configure is run.                                              *
  *   You now need to ./configure --prefix="/path/to/install/it"          *
  * - The old config format WILL NOT WORK. Please see etc/example.conf ! *
  * - The old kline, dline, xline, gline format WILL NOT WORK.
  *************************************************************************

  ALSO, IF YOU ARE UPGRADING YOUR CURRENT SOURCE TREE, AND YOU TRY TO BUILD
  IN IT WITHOUT PERFORMING AT LEAST 'make clean', THINGS _WILL_ BREAK. IT IS
  RECOMMENDED THAT YOU RUN 'make distclean' AND THEN RERUN './configure'!

******************************* REQUIREMENTS **********************************

Necessary Requirements:

- A supported platform (look below)

- A working dynamic load library, unless
  compiling statically, without module
  support.

Feature Specific Requirements:

- For the SSL Challenge controlled OPER feature and encrypted server links,
  a working OpenSSL library

- For compressed server links,
  a working zlib library and includes (zlib.h)

- For encrypted oper and (optional) server passwords, a working DES and/or
  MD5 library

*******************************************************************************

- See the INSTALL document for info on configuring and compiling
  ircd-hybrid.

- Please read doc/index.txt to get an overview of the current documentation.

- A good place for general help, discussions, and suggestions for ircd-hybrid
  can be found at http://www.forum.ircd-hybrid.org

- There is also a mailing list for general discussion of Hybrid.  To subscribe
  to the Hybrid List, use this link:
  https://lists.ircd-hybrid.org/mailman/listinfo/hybrid

- To report bugs in hybrid, send the bug report to bugs@ircd-hybrid.org

- Known bugs are listed in the BUGS file

- If you run in to a problem you think may be specific to your platform,
  check README.PLATFORMS for some hints.

- SOLARIS USERS: this code appears to tickle a bug in older gcc and 
  egcs ONLY on 64-bit Solaris7.  gcc-2.95 and SunPro C on 64bit should
  work fine, and any gcc or SunPro compiled on 32bit.

- DARWIN AND MACOS X USERS: You must be using at least the December 2001
  Development Tools from Apple to build ircd-hybrid with shared modules.
  Before then you MUST disable shared modules, as we do not have the proper
  flags for cc(1) prior to that point to produce shared modules.

- TESTED PLATFORMS:  The code has been tested on the following platforms, and
  is known to run properly.
  FreeBSD 3.x/4.x/5.x (gcc only, TenDRA will work but only with the latest
  cvs version from ten15.org)
  Linux glibc 2.2/2.3
  Solaris 2.6/7/8
  Cygwin 1.3.22 (no shared modules yet)
  OpenBSD 2.8-3.2
  HP-UX 11.00-11.22
  IRIX64 6.5.19 (gcc only; MIPSpro is unconfirmed)
  NetBSD 1.4-1.6
  Tru64 UNIX 5.2b (only tested with native cc)

  It probably does not compile on AIX or libc5 Linux.

- Old Hybrid 5/6 configuration files are no longer supported.  All conf
  files will have to be converted to the Hybrid 7 format.

- If you are wondering why config.h no longer exists, it's because most
  things that were once in config.h are now specified in the 'general'
  block of ircd.conf.  Look at example.conf for more information about
  these options. Many, notably syslog support and EFnet tweaks, are now
  configure options (see ./configure --help for details.)

- /etc/resolv.conf must exist for the resolver to work.

- Please read RELNOTES and doc/whats-new.txt for information about what is in
  this release.

- Other files recommended for reading: BUGS, INSTALL

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$Id$