README for bsd-games
====================

This is the bsd-games package for Linux, containing ports of all the
games from NetBSD-current that are free in the usual (DFSG/OSD) sense
(i.e. modified and unmodified versions can be freely distributed,
including for profit).  NetBSD-current contains three other games,
rogue, hack and larn.  Rogue has a standard BSD licence, but with an
additional contradictory licence that does not allow for-profit
distribution; hack and larn have no licence at all.  If you want
rogue, get the bsd-games-non-free package (which should be on sunsite,
but not tsx-11), and read the README.non-free that it contains: rogue
is being distributed separately, and hack and larn not distributed at
all in this Linux port, in the absence of definite confirmation of
what licences really apply.  A game not from NetBSD, paranoia, was in
earlier versions of bsd-games-non-free (and bsd-games 1.2 and 1.3) but
has been removed because of the lack of a clear licence.

The games are mostly not enhanced from the NetBSD versions, but many
bugs are fixed.

The games should work with ncurses (any reasonably recent version).
They might also work with BSD curses/termcap, but this is not tested
by me.  They should work with both libc5 (version 5.4.5 or later -
earlier versions won't work) and libc6 (glibc 2).  Note however that I
don't test all possible combinations of libraries for each release, so
tell me if some versions don't work.  For details of prerequisites,
see INSTALL.

For installation instructions, see the file `INSTALL'.  Some games
have `README.linux' files you may wish to read.

The statement of year 2000 issues associated with bsd-games and
bsd-games-non-free is in the file `YEAR2000'.

This package contains the following games:

adventure:	the original adventure by Crowther and Woods
arithmetic:	arithmetic quiz/speed test
atc:		air traffic control
backgammon:	backgammon
banner:		display a message in big letters
battlestar:	adventure game on a battlestar
bcd:		outputs text in an antique form
boggle:		boggle
caesar:		reads fortunes from the game fortune, also some internet posts
canfield:	curses-based solitaire
countmail:	tell you how much new mail you have
cribbage:	cribbage
dm:		dungeon master, regulates games playing
factor:		factor a number
fish:		go fish
fortune:	displays a random silly message
gomoku:		gomoku
hangman:	guess the word before it is too late
hunt:		hunt each other in a maze (multiplayer -- great)
mille:		mille borne against the computer
monop:		monopoly
morse:		output morse code
number:		output the English text for a number
phantasia:	interterminal fantasy game
pig:		output text in Pig Latin
pom:		display the phase of the moon
ppt:		outputs text in another antique form
primes:		generate primes
quiz:		random knowledge tests
rain:		attempts to create a rain drop effect (best at 9600 baud)
random:		random lines from a file or random numbers
robots:		well... avoid the robots
sail:		sail your ship into battle
snake:		grab the cash and avoid the snake and exit
tetris:		tetris
trek:		We come in peace, shoot to kill.  It's worse than that, he's
		dead Jim.  Ye cannot change the laws of physics.  It's life
		Jim, but not as we know it.  There's Klingons on the starboard
		bow ...
wargames:	would you like to play a game?
worm:		eat the numbers without running into anything
worms:		random worms scurrying across your screen
wump:		hunt the wumpus

If you have questions about bsd-games or bsd-games-non-free you can
contact me at <jsm28@cam.ac.uk> (this is the preferred address for
mail about bsd-games; but if you find it is no longer valid you could
try <J.S.Myers@dpmms.cam.ac.uk> or <jsm@octomino.demon.co.uk>).  Bug
reports should state the versions of ncurses and libc used, unless
clearly not relevant (e.g., bugs in data files, or where you have an
analysis and patch).  If you want to be informed by email of new
releases when they come out, please let me know.

Known bugs are listed in the file BUGS; please do not send bug reports
for bugs listed there, but patches that fix them are welcome.

For patches, I prefer unidiffs (use `diff -u OLD NEW', or `diff -ruN
OLD-DIRECTORY NEW-DIRECTORY'), but if your diff cannot produce them
then context diffs are OK.  Please remember to include details of the
bug and your analysis of the problem if you are sending a patch; I
have ported the code from NetBSD to Linux, but may not be familiar
with the workings of any particular program, whereas you will be if
you have been tracing and fixing a bug.  The gcc info manual contains
a discussion of how to produce good bug reports.

Joseph S. Myers
jsm28@cam.ac.uk



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