# $RCSfile$ $Revision$ $Author$ $Date$

Release Tue Oct  8 08:21:03 EDT 2002
===========================================================================

IMPORTANT!!!!  DANGER,DANGER,WILL ROBINSON!!!!!  Here be dragons:
If you are, and want to continue using version prior to 0.11.0, please
see the file src/UPDATE as it contains some very important information.

Introduction
============
This is the 0.14.0 release of MTU.  It is being released in hopes that 
someone else may find it useful.  As a 0.14.0 release, you may find it 
'rough around the edges.'  So, if you're expecting something flawless,
you should probably just rm the tarball and the traveller directory 
right now.......


What you will need
==================
I'm still building against GTK 1.2.10 and wxGTK 2.4.0 and 2.4.2.  Other
versions may work.  My recommendation is something at least as new as what
I build against.  Links can be found at 
http://www.freiburg.linux.de/~wxxt/.  
My build and test environmets have the traveller directory hanging off
of either /usr or ~/ and the resource files live in my home directory.
Other configurations (such a lsb complient /opt) should be possible.


Setting it up
=============
Take a look at INSTALL.  I would suggest creating either /usr/traveller
or ~/traveller and untarring this mess from /usr or ~/.  Future
releases may have one of those nice ./configure scripts which will build 
proper Makefiles and set an appropriate install location.  Who knows?  
There may even end up being an rpm someday.  But, since this is a 0.14.0 
release, such things have a fairly low priority.

If you feel real brave, cd into /usr/traveller/src and type 'make' and 
then 'make shared'.  It may not work.  I have installed this on only a 
few other systems, but being the lousy sysadmin I am, none of these 
match what you have.

Anyway, if the above doesn't work, cd into the lib directory and do a 
'make' and a 'make shared' there.  Hopefully you will have two static 
and two shared libraries (with links) in $TRAVLIBDEST.  Once you have 
the static and shared libs, cd back up to /usr/traveller/src and try 
'make' and 'make shared' again.

If this doesn't seem to be working, you can try your hand at fixing 
whatever might have gone wrong.  If you make changes, I am interested 
in seeing them.  Note that I'm well aware of the compilier warnings. 

At this point you're almost ready to run.  To follow my setup (which, 
again, I would recommend), you will need to copy the files in 
src/resources into your home directory, set up the environment variable 
for where to look for libraries (LD_LIBRARY_PATH or ldconfig or just move 
the libs to someplace they will be found), and maybe set the execution 
path (PATH).  There are other ways to do this, but that is how I have it 
here.

Hopefully, you should be ready to run the programs.


Traveller Utilities for Linux
=============================
Man pages, or htmlized help would probably be nice (this is a 0.14.0 
release, remember?).  Until they are made, the following should be 
helpful.

The following applications are included in this release:

enc_tbl		generate encounter tables
mtu			main 'menu' program
sector		view edit and print sectors
secgen		create sectors
sysgen		generate star systems
system		view edit and print star systems
trade		generate trade information for a world
world		generate and print world details

With the exception of secgen, everything pretty much runs from mtu.  
So, try typing in 'mtu' and see what happens.  Select a universe from 
the combo box ('Circa 1110' is probably the most developed), then a 
sector with the grid looking button or by clicking on the sector 
depiction (the Spinward Marches would be a good choice).  By using the 
magnifing glass (detail) button, you will run the sector program on the 
selected sector.  From the sector program, select a hex (1910's a good 
one ;) ) either from the hex button on the toolbar or the hex menu or 
by right clicking on the map.  View/Edit the detail of the choosen hex 
by selecting from either the main or the map menus or with sector's 
magnifing glass button.  An encounter table and trade information (yes, 
the icons for these are stupid, a 'critter' and a cargo box) can also 
be generated at this point from either of the hex menus or the 
appropriate button.  The system program should be showing (and showing 
the Regina system if you're following my parenthetical examples--if not, 
you would've had to generate a new system with sysgen).  At this point 
you can select an orbit or world and generate detailed world information 
or another encounter table.

Note that the world detail and encounter table data files are not sync'ed
very well with the universe->sector->system files (yet--I'm still working 
on a reasonable method for this).

Many other functions are available.  Most notably, the extensive printing
of sectors and system files (the main reason for this software's 
existance).  There will be a few places where the dreaded NotImplemented() 
dialog box may appear.  And the inevitable program crashes where you'll 
email me and I won't have a clue what you're talking about (seriously, 
email me, chances are pretty good I can help).


Notes about the code
====================
I have tryed to code these programs as close to the spirit of the rules 
as I could.  However, there is one major departure I have made.  UWP's in
a system may indicate a blank (' ') in the social data (everything after
Hydrosphere).  That indicates a world which really doesn't have any
inhabitants.  This is something I have done since I first got my hands
on Book 6, and (to my knowledge) it has never been used elsewhere.  I 
can't recall any rule specifically saying that the Population code is
an exponent, but it is how I have used it, and 10^0 == 1, which implies 
1-9 inhabitants, and, in my eyes anyway, is different than 0.  Likewise
No Government and no one to govern, No Law and no one to apply any laws
to, etc.  In any event, I may code a resource in someday to handle that,
but I'm really not motivated to do so......


What's Next?
============
In no particular order or importance, the following are planed for 
future release (probably not before 0.15.0):

	- Real help files (html, but I suck at it)
	- Better sync'ing for notes, world detail and encounter tables
	- Do more with 3D
	- ./configure, make install, rpm/deb -- stuff to make getting this 
	  easier
	- The system generation files from galactic are converted by the 
	  gal2mtu program, it might be good to offer different system type 
	  structures (this has always been possible, but I haven't had time 
	  to do very much).

Realize this is Open Source, and if you would like to see these or any 
other features added, the fastest way may be to contribute.


Other
=====
Comments, (constructive) critisisms, or just plain help?  I can be reached at:

markn@visi.com

