diff README @ 6:fcaa8b650cdd

Improve README file Improve build instructions. Add information on bug reporting. Add contact information.
author Guido Berhoerster <guido+sencrypt@berhoerster.name>
date Fri, 09 Jan 2015 17:13:58 +0100
parents f0ceb0ad20e7
children b7309b030e8d
line wrap: on
line diff
--- a/README	Tue Nov 18 09:41:10 2014 +0100
+++ b/README	Fri Jan 09 17:13:58 2015 +0100
@@ -15,10 +15,69 @@
 Build Instructions
 ------------------
 
-sencrypt requires a POSIX:2004 compatible operating system, and needs GNU make,
-GNU or BSD install, the xsltproc tool from libxml2 and the OpenSSL library to
-be installed. It has been tested on Linux distributions, FreeBSD, Solaris and
-Illumos-derived distributions, UnixWare, and OpenServer.
+sencrypt requires a POSIX:2004 compatible operating system, it has been tested
+to work on Linux distributions, FreeBSD, Solaris and Illumos-derived
+distributions, UnixWare, and OpenServer.  The following tools and shared
+libraries are required to build sencrypt:
+
+- GNU make >= 3.81
+- GNU or BSD install
+- OpenSSL
+
+Rebuilding the man pages additionally requires the xsltproc tool from libxml2.
+
+Before building sencrypt check the commented macros in the Makefile for any
+macros you may need to override depending on the used toolchain and operating
+system.
+
+By default, all files will be installed under the "/usr/local" directory, a
+different installation path prefix can be set via the `prefix` macro.  In
+addition, a second path prefix can be specified via the `DESTDIR` macro which
+will be prepended to any path, incuding the `prefix` macro path prefix.  In
+contrast to `prefix`, the path specified via the `DESTDIR` macro will only be
+prepended to paths during installation and not be used for constructing
+internal paths.
+
+The following instructions assume that `make` is GNU make, on some platforms
+it may be installed under a different name or a non-default path.  In order to
+start the build process run `make all`.  After a successful build, run `make
+install` to install the program, any associated data files and the
+documentation.
+
+Previously built binaries, object files, generated data files and
+documentation can be removed by running `make clean`, any additional,
+generated files which are not removed by the `clean` target can be removed by
+running `make clobber`.
+
+Contact
+-------
+
+Please send any feedback, translations or bug reports via email to
+<guido+sencrypt@berhoerster.name>.
+
+Bug Reports
+-----------
+
+When sending bug reports, please always mention the exact version of sencrypt
+with which the issue occurs as well as the version of the operating system you
+are using and make sure that you provide sufficient information to reproduce
+the issue and include any input, output, any error messages.
+
+In case of build issues, please also specify the implementations and versions
+of the tools and shared libraries used to build the program, in particular the
+compiler.
+
+In case of crashes, please generate a stack trace with a suitable debugger
+such as gdb, lldb, dbx, or debug after a crash has occurred either by
+examining the resulting core file or by running the program from the debugger
+and attach it to the bug report.  In order to generate a meaningful stack
+trace the program as well as any dynamically linked libraries need to be built
+with debugging information, see the documentation of the used compiler for the
+required compiler flags.  If any of the dynamically linked shared libraries do
+not contain debugging information, please either install debugging information
+for these libraries using mechanisms provided by your operating system or
+rebuild the libraries accordingly.  Please refer to the documentation of the
+debugger for detailed instructions on generating backtraces.
 
 License
 -------