From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia README
README
README General information
AUTHORS Credits
THANKS Acknowledgments
ChangeLog A detailed changelog, intended for programmers
NEWS A basic changelog, intended for users
INSTALL Installation instructions
COPYING / LICENSE Copyright and licensing information
BUGS Known bugs and instructions on reporting new ones
me)
A readme (or read me file contains information about or those produced with GNU Autotools, usually include a
other files in a directory or archive and is commonly dis- standard set of readme files:
tributed with computer software. Such a file is usually a
text file called README.TXT, README.1ST, READ.ME, Other files commonly distributed with software include a
or simply README, although some Microsoft Windows FAQ and a TODO file listing possible future changes.
software may occasionally include a README.WRI,
README.RTF, or README.DOC. The name is chosen so Other uses
that users unaware of the existence of this type of file
would be drawn to read it. It is traditionally written in • "readme" is the name of a software art festival
upper case so that on case-preserving environments us- (Aarhus 2004, Helsinki 2003, Moscow 2002) created
ing an ASCIIbetical ordering, the name will appear near by Alexei Shulgin and Olga Goriunova, among others.
the beginning of a directory listing (since upper-case let- • "Readme" is the name of Michael Kinsley’s column in
ters sort before lower-case letters in ASCIIbetical order- the magazine Slate.[1]
ing). • "readme" is the name of a student-produced weekly
The contents typically include one or more of the fol- humor publication at Carnegie Mellon University.[2]
lowing:
• Configuration instructions Sources
• Installation instructions
[1] "Slate homepage". Slate.com.
• Operating instructions
http://www.slate.com/?id=3944&cp=2147.
• A file manifest (list of files included)
Retrieved 22 September 2010.
• Copyright and licensing information
[2] "?". http://www.activitiesboard.org/readme.php.
• Contact information for the distributor or
• This article is based in part on the Jargon File, which is in
programmer
the public domain.
• Known bugs
• Troubleshooting
• Credits and acknowledgments
• A changelog
The expression "readme file" is also sometimes used de-
scriptively and generically, whereby the files are not
named "readme", but are considered types of readme
files. The source code distributions of many free software
packages, especially those following the Gnits Standards
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=README&oldid=460977642"
Categories:
• Software documentation
• Files
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia README
This page was last modified on 16 November 2011 at 17:55. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
2