=== ABOUT ===

bot.perl, a glue script to put Frotz on the AIM network.
by timethy@tmail@com
*** free software, please share ***

integrating code from:  www.wiredbots.com (AIM bot templates)

=== INSTALL ===

This perl script needs Frotz, get it at:
http://www.cs.csubak.edu/~dgriffi/proj/frotz/
Frotz now judicously flushes file buffers! No source code modification needed. 
* update 3/23/04: I could have sworn that Frotz fixed this, but the 
  latest version 2.43 doesn't seem to flush buffers at all anymore. Oh well... 
  Here's a nice 2.32 dumb-frotz modified by Ilya to flush. 
  Also here's my 2.43 full archive with flushing added. 
  These should both build on any real Unix.

Copy "dfrotz" to your path. (/usr/bin/ is a good spot)

Install the Perl modules
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Net::AIM'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install LWP::Simple'


=== CONFIGURE ===

Edit the bot.pl file and put in your bot's
desired AIM username and password. You have to
goto http://www.aol.com to register it.

Put Infocom Z-machine files into a "games" folder.
Make them all lowercase, and only use alphanumeric
characters, no symbols. This simplifies game 
choosing for various AIM clients.

The script forks a new process for every new 
connection. Set $maxconn to maximum connections.

"Screen" width is set at 40 characters for Hiptop.
This is adjustable, look for dfrotz in the script.

=== PLAY ===

Run the botloop shell script. It runs bot.pl
in an infinite loop. If it succeeds you should see
status messages being posted. Press CTRL-C to stop.

The reason to use botloop.sh is because bot.pl is
not fully robust. If frotz closes before bot.pl
expects it to, it will crash. But it's a soft crash,
and you can start right back up. All games that were
in progress are lost.

To play, use another AIM account and send a message
to your bot's account. You bot will respond with
the contents of the "games" directory. The user then
types the desired game, and it will begin.

Type "quit" to quit.

If you want to save a game, type "save" and enter.
Then type the name of the file and enter.

To load a saved game, type "restore" and enter. 
Then type the name of the file and enter.

To get continue text that is paused, press space
then enter.

=== BLAH ===

You comments are welcome:
timethy@tmail@com

HAVE FUN!! ;)

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