Chat 0.2 ALPHA
--------------

I. OVERVIEW
-----------

This program allows up to 15 users to connect to a internet
socket and communicate together. The users don't need any
special software other than TELNET.

1. Unpack the distribution file into a new subdirectory
2. Invoke the shell script "compile" or use the precompiled
   binary "chat"
3. Copy the manpage (chat.1) to your local man directory
3. Start the chat program and give it a free port number
   at the command line. For example, type:
   $ nohup chat 2001 &
   You may also give CHAT a filename as a third parameter.
   The text file with this name will be displayed to each 
   new user when he or she first connects to CHAT.
4. The users can now telnet to that machine:
   $ telnet hostname.domain.xyz 2001
5. Only complete lines (RETURN-terminated) are transmitted
   to the other users
6. The users can exit from the conversation with:
   %exit
   or
   %quit
7. Chat stays active, even if no users are connected and waits
   for new connections.

II. COMMANDS
------------

CHAT understands a couple of commands. Every command begins with
a '%' character and MUST begin at the first column of a new text
line.

The commands are:

%exit
%quit
	Terminate the CHAT connection and return to the local
	system.

%who
	Show a list of all participants.
	
%p <user>
%p
	Toggle private mode. In the first form, the %p command
	establishes a private connection to a CHAT user. Everything
	you type after this command will be visible only to the
	named user. The second form of the %p command (without a
	user name) returns you to global mode, and everything you
	type afterwards will be visible to all users again.

%?	
	Show current mode. This command tells you if you currently
	are in private or in global mode. If you are in private mode,
	it also tells you to whom you are connected.

Thanks to 
	Rolf Krahl <krahl@namu01.gwdg.de> 
	Christian Holtje <choltje@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
for help and ideas.

Have fun,

Andreas


