@chapter Readme

@c set the vars GNUSTEP-BASE-VERSION and GCC-VERSION
@include version.texi

The GNUstep Base Library is a library of general-purpose, non-graphical
Objective C objects.  For example, it includes classes for strings,
object collections, byte streams, typed coders, invocations,
notifications, notification dispatchers, moments in time, network ports,
remote object messaging support (distributed objects), and event loops.

It provides functionality that aims to implement the non-graphical
portion of the OpenStep standard (the Foundation library).  

@section Initial reading

The file @samp{NEWS} has the library's feature history.

The files @samp{INSTALL} or @samp{GNUstep-HOWTO} (from the web site)
gives instructions for installing the library.

Note that releases numbers that have an odd minor version (e.g. 1.3.2)
are unstable releases. They are not as well tested as stable releases
(e.g. 1.4.1).

@section License

The GNUstep libraries are covered under the GNU Lesser Public License.
This means you can use these libraries in any program (even non-free
programs). If you distribute the libraries along with your program, 
you must make the improvements you have made
to the libraries freely available. You should read the COPYING.LIB file
for more information.

GNUstep tools, test programs, and other files are covered under the
GNU Public License. This means if you make changes to these programs,
you cannot charge a fee, other than distribution fees, for others to
use the program. You should read the COPYING file for more information.

With GNUstep-Base, we strongly recommend the use of the ffcall
libraries, which provides stack frame handling for NSInvocation and
NSConnection.  "Ffcall is under GNU GPL. As a special exception, if used
in GNUstep or in derivate works of GNUstep, the included parts of ffcall
are under GNU LGPL" (Text in quotes provided by the author of ffcall).

@section How can you help?

@itemize @bullet

@item
Give us feedback!  Tell us what you like; tell us what you think
could be better. 

Please log bug reports on the GNUstep project page
@url{http://savannah.gnu.org/support/?group=gnustep} or send bug
reports to @email{bug-gnustep@@gnu.org}.

@end itemize

@example
Happy hacking!
@end example
