Streamline README.md & INSTALL.md files

- Tweak some paragraphs and bring others more in line with texts on the
  homepage ...
- Try to not duplicate information:
  - Configuration is explained in doc/QuickStart.md;
  - command line parameters are already better described in the
    ngircd(8) manual page.
- Move all pointers to documentation to the README.md file, which is
  directly shown in GitHub when browsing the repository, for example.

diff --git a/INSTALL.md b/INSTALL.md
index 9718db929e71c1bc97ab97e9340880fc946ad9de..faf8812e8bbf85f5cf4661363a15036d756f4374 100644 (file)
--- a/INSTALL.md
+++ b/INSTALL.md
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
-# [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
 
@@ -394,46 +394,3 @@ standard locations.
 
   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!

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 437ebb6817bf925792b6af8f7eab71c9beae5dc2..073fff445b8863d8f4fcbc598488d642ddd76f37 100644 (file)
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ The name ngIRCd stands for *next-generation IRC daemon*, which is a little bit
 exaggerated: *lightweight Internet Relay Chat server* most probably would have
 been a better name :-)
 
-Please see the `INSTALL.md` document for installation and upgrade information,
-online available here: <https://ngircd.barton.de/doc/INSTALL.md>!
-
 ## Status
 
 Development of *ngIRCd* started back in 2001: The server has been written from
@@ -34,7 +31,7 @@ commands and semantics that are used by existing clients.
 *ngIRCd* is used as the daemon in real-world in-house and public IRC networks
 and included in the package repositories of various operating systems.
 
-## Features (or: why use ngIRCd?)
+## Advantages and strengths
 
 - Well arranged (lean) configuration file.
 - Simple to build, install, configure, and maintain.
@@ -51,13 +48,30 @@ and included in the package repositories of various operating systems.
 
 The **homepage** of the ngIRCd project is <https://ngircd.barton.de>.
 
-Installation of ngIRCd is described in the file `INSTALL.md` in the source
-directory; please see the file `doc/QuickStart.md` in the `doc/` directory or
-[online](https://ngircd.barton.de/doc/QuickStart.md) for some real-world
+The `INSTALL.md` document describes how to _install_ and _upgrade_ ngIRCd. It
+is included in all distribution archives and available online on
+[GitHub](https://github.com/ngircd/ngircd/blob/master/INSTALL.md).
+
+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.
 
-More documentation can be found in the `doc/` directory and
-[online](https://ngircd.barton.de/documentation).
+More information can be found in a couple of files in the `doc/` directory
+(online on [GitHub](https://github.com/ngircd/ngircd/tree/master/doc)) and in
+the [documentation section](https://ngircd.barton.de/documentation) on the
+[homepage of ngIRCd](https://ngircd.barton.de).
+
+In addition, ngIRCd comes with two _manual pages_: `ngircd(8)` (for the daemon)
+and `ngircd.conf(5)` (for its configuration file). They have even more details
+and list all possible command line parameters and configuration options. You
+can read them with the `man` command (when they are installed locally on your
+system, e.g. `man 8 ngircd` and `man 5 ngircd.conf`) or online here:
+
+- Daemon:
+  [ngircd(8)](https://ngircd.barton.de/man/ngircd.8.html)
+- Configuration file:
+  [ngircd.conf(5)](https://ngircd.barton.de/man/ngircd.conf.5.html)
 
 ## Downloads & Source Code
 
@@ -65,8 +79,8 @@ You can find the latest information about the ngIRCd and the most recent
 stable release on the [news](https://ngircd.barton.de/news) and
 [downloads](https://ngircd.barton.de/download) pages of the homepage.
 
-Visit our source code repository at [GitHub](https://github.com) if you are
-interested in the latest development code: <https://github.com/ngircd/ngircd>.
+Visit our source code repository at [GitHub](https://github.com/ngircd/ngircd)
+if you are interested in the latest development code.
 
 ## Problems, Bugs, Patches