Initial revision
git-svn-id: svn://svn.savannah.gnu.org/nano/trunk/nano@2 35c25a1d-7b9e-4130-9fde-d3aeb78583b8
diff --git a/README b/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ba0fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+
+ The nano editor (Nano's ANOther editor) by Chris Allegretta
+
+Manifesto
+
+ Nano is the editor formerly known as TIP (TIP Isn't Pico).
+ The nano project was started because of three main problems with the
+ wonderfully easy-to-use and friendly Pico text editor:
+
+ - It's license is not the GNU GPL, and hence some Linux
+ distributions, including Debian (my favorite) don't always
+ include it/don't include binaries. This is not necessarily a
+ problem, but an issue nonetheless.
+
+ - Until recently, it had no ability to go to a line # from within
+ the editor. There was the +number command line option, but who wants
+ to exit a file to go to a specific line number? When I want to go to
+ a line, since I have to exit anyway, I just call up vi temporarily.
+
+ - No search and replace feature. Well, apparently there is a flag
+ that lets you do a search and replace (-b in newer versions) but,
+ well, I still dont like it.
+
+ nano aims to solve these problems by emulating the functionality of
+ Pico as closely as possible while adressing the problems above and
+ perhaps providing other extra functionality.
+
+How to compile and install nano
+
+ Download the nano source code, then:
+ tar zxvf nano-x.y.z.tar.gz
+ cd nano-x.y.z
+ ./configure
+ make
+ make install
+
+ It's that simple. Use --prefix to override the default installation
+ directory of /usr/local.
+
+Web Page
+
+ http://www.asty.org/nano
+
+Mailing List and Bug Reports
+
+ SourceForge hosts all the nano-related mailing-lists.
+ + nano-announce@lists.sourceforge.net is a very low traffic list
+ used to announce new Nano versions or other important information
+ about the project.
+ + nano-devel@lists.sourceforge.net is the list used by the people
+ that make Nano and a general development discussion list, with
+ moderate traffic.
+ To subscribe, send email to nano-<name>-request@lists.sourceforge.net
+ with a subject of "subscribe", where <name> is the list you want to
+ subscribe to.
+ For general bug reports, send a description of the problem to
+ nano@asty.org or directly to the development list.
+
+Current Status
+
+ nano is currently at version 0.9.x, and it will probably remain there
+ for awhile. This reflects the adage that the last 10% of a project
+ takes 90% of the time. Version 1.0 will be released when there are
+ no unresolved bugs, and not before. I am also currently looking for
+ patches for all things listed in the TODO file. If you have a
+ comment or suggestion, please let me know, all help is appreciated.
+
+ Warning: This program can and possibly will corrupt your data in
+ its current form! It is beta software, so treat it as such!
+ Thank you.
+
+ Note that the primary aim of nano is to emulate Pico while adding a
+ few key "missing" features. I do NOT want just a GPL'ed Pico clone,
+ nor do I want something that strays too far from the Pico design
+ (simple and straightforward). If you don't like this, feel free to
+ fork my code at any time, but please call your editor something
+ else, believe it or not I struggled awhile before coming up with
+ the name nano (and before that TIP), and it would be much easier for
+ everyone if there weren't five versions of the same program. As you
+ can guess, I'm not much of an emacs fan ;)
+
+ Chris Allegretta (chrisa@asty.org)