                       
		       IROs/IROc Package Version 1.0
		            by Rob Vanderhoff


DISCLAIMER:

   Yep, that's right, another disclaimer!  Well, I added one onto the
   source-code of IROs, but I figured that I had better put a formal one
   in here as well... so here goes:
   
   This program is distributed in the hopes that it will be useful, but
   WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  I (the author)
   take NO RESPONSIBILITY for the misuse or damage that may arise from
   the use of this program.  Just by reading this, you are legally bound
   by these terms.  Enough said.
   
HOW TO CONTACT ME:
   
   email:
      yellow@avicom.net
      purple@fubar.cs.montana.edu
   www:
      http://www.cs.montana.edu
      
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WHAT ARE THESE PROGRAMS?

   Since not all of us can afford, or have access to, a machine with a
   permanent IP address, most people have their web-pages on a remote server.
   I am one such person.  Everytime I log on, I'm guarranteed a different
   IP address than the one I had before.  So, if if I could just make a link
   on my remote homepage that pointed to the webserver on my dynamic IP
   when I log on, then it would solve the problem.  Users wishing to get
   to my home webserver, or just plain interrested on what my IP is, could
   look at my webpage.
   
   So, what I'm saying is, I created a client/server setup to do this.  The
   server sits in the background on the remote machine... and when the client
   connects to it, the server gets the information from the client (your
   IP address and name-address), and creates an html-file with all that
   info in it.  Now, your homepage on the remote server has a link to this
   page that the server creates... so when users click on it, they not only
   get info on your current IP (if you're online), but also have a link
   right in front of them to get to your home-webserver.
   
HOW DO I DO THIS?

   1)  Compile the programs (Make). If the platform for the server is
       different from that of your own... then you'll have to compile IROs
       on the server, and compile IROc on your home machine.
   
   2)  run IROs on the server (see instructions for IROs below).
   
   3)  Create a link in your remote homepage to the html-file that IROs
       will create.  The default one is 'iros.html'.
   
   4)  Now, whenever you logon to the internet, make sure you run IROc, and
       the html-link will be updated.  Make sure that when you log off, you
       run IROc with the '-o' option, so it can tell IROs that you're offline.
       
       I have an internet logon script that takes care of all this for me, so
       I don't even see all this happening!
       
IROS:

   IROs is easy to get up and running.  There are optional command-line
   parameters (not including '-h').
   
   The first is the '-p' option.  If you run IROs, and it gives you a message
   like "iros: bind: cannot bind specified address", then you can be sure that
   the default port (4417) has been taken by another program.  So, what do you
   do? You tell iros to use a different port, like say 5454 or sumthin:
   
      iros -p 5454
      
   Okay, then there's the '-f' option.  The name of the html file that
   iros makes by default is 'iros.html'.  If you don't like this, then you
   use the '-f' option to specify a different name. For example, if I wanted
   iros to create an html file named 'status.html' instead, I'd do this:
   
      iros -f status.html
   
   It can't be any simpler to use.

IROC:

   IROc is the client program.  It is also very easy to use.. there are
   2 optional commandline params, and one mandatory one.  The mandatory one
   is the servername that IROs is running on.  If IROs is, say, running on
   'fubar.cs.montana.edu', then I'd run iroc like this:
   
      iroc fubar.cs.montana.edu
   
   NOTE: the servername commandline param must ALWAYS BE THE LAST ONE ON
         THE COMMANDLINE!!!
	 
   Now... if you had problems getting IROs to use the default port, and
   changed it, then you must also make IROc use that port.  So if IROs is
   using port #3232, then I'd have to run IROc like this:
   
      iroc -p 3232 fubar.cs.montana.edu
   
   Okay, up 'till now, all the examples, when run, would have told IROs that
   we are just getting online.  So how do we tell IROs that we are going
   offline? With the '-o' option..
   
      iros -o fubar.cs.montana.edu
   
   So, when you logon to the internet, run iros. when you log OFF the
   internet, run iros with the '-o' option.  Simple? Good.


CREDITS:

   Me.
   
   Joe Volesky, for giving me the great idea, and also beta-testing for
   me.
   
   Linuz Torvalds, for making the world's greatest operating system.
   
   And that's it, enjoy.
   
      -Rob Vanderhoff

