-# [ngIRCd](https://ngircd.barton.de) - Internet Relay Chat Server
+# [ngIRCd](https://ngircd.barton.de) - Installation
-This document explains how to install, the lightweight Internet Relay Chat
-(IRC) server.
+This document describes how to install ngIRCd, the lightweight Internet Relay
+Chat (IRC) server.
The first section lists noteworthy changes to earlier releases; you definitely
should read this when upgrading your setup! But you can skip over this section
-when you do a fresh installation.
+when you are working on a fresh installation.
-All the subsequent sections describe the steps required to build and install
-ngIRCd from sources. The information given here is not relevant when you are
-using packages provided by your operating system vendor or third-party
-repositories.
+The subsequent sections describe the steps required to build and install ngIRCd
+_from sources_. The information given here is not relevant when you are using
+packages provided by your operating system vendor or third-party repositories!
-Please see the file `doc/QuickStart.md` in the `doc/` directory and
-[online](https://ngircd.barton.de/doc/QuickStart.md) on the homepage for
-information about configuring ngIRCd, including some configuration examples.
+Please see the file `doc/QuickStart.md` in the `doc/` directory or on
+[GitHub](https://github.com/ngircd/ngircd/blob/master/doc/QuickStart.md) for
+information about _setting up_ and _running_ ngIRCd, including some real-world
+configuration examples.
## Upgrade Information
+This section lists important updates and breaking changes that you should be
+aware of *before* starting the upgrade:
+
+Differences to version 26
+
+- **Attention**:
+ Starting with release 27, ngIRCd validates SSL/TLS certificates on outgoing
+ server-server links by default and drops(!) connections when the remote
+ certificate is invalid (for example self-signed, expired, not matching the
+ host name, ...). Therefore you have to make sure that all relevant
+ *certificates are valid* (or to disable certificate validation on this
+ connection using the new `SSLVerify = false` setting in the affected
+ `[Server]` block, where the remote certificate is not valid and you can not
+ fix this issue).
+
Differences to version 25
- **Attention**:
- `--with-gnutls[=<path>]`
Enable support for SSL/TLS using OpenSSL or GnuTLS libraries.
- See `doc/SSL.txt` for details.
+ See `doc/SSL.md` for details.
- IPv6 (autodetected by default):
Enable (disable) support for version 6 of the Internet Protocol, which should
be available on most modern UNIX-like operating systems by default.
-
-## Configuration
-
-Please see the file `doc/QuickStart.md` in the `doc/` directory and
-[online](https://ngircd.barton.de/doc/QuickStart.md) on the homepage for
-information about configuring ngIRCd, including some configuration examples.
-
-And have a look at the `ngircd(8)` and `ngircd.conf(5)` manual pages for
-details and all possible command line and configuration options -- **and don't
-forget to run `ngircd --configtest` to validate your configuration file!**
-
-### Manual Pages Online
-
-- Daemon: [ngircd.8](https://manpages.debian.org/ngircd.8)
-- Configutation file: [ngircd.conf.5](https://manpages.debian.org/ngircd.conf.5)
-
-## Command line options
-
-ngIRCd supports the following command line options:
-
-- `-f`, `--config <file>`
-
- The daemon uses the file `<file>` as configuration file rather than
- the standard configuration `/usr/local/etc/ngircd.conf`.
-
-- `-n`, `--nodaemon`
-
- ngIRCd should be running as a foreground process.
-
-- `-p`, `--passive`
-
- Server-links won't be automatically established.
-
-- `-t`, `--configtest`
-
- Reads, validates and dumps the configuration file as interpreted
- by the server. Then exits.
-
-Use `--help` to see a short help text describing all available parameters
-the server understands, with `--version` the ngIRCd shows its version
-number. In both cases the server exits after the output.
-
-Please see the `ngircd(8)` manual page for more details!