


FILERUNNER
==========
Version <20100903.****.**>
Version <20100812.****.**>

(C) 2010 Tom Turkey

Version 2.5.1

(C) 1996-1999 Henrik Harmsen

FileRunner is a file manager for Unix. It is simple and efficient
and has a built-in FTP client.

It also does a reasonable (and improving) job on Windows systems.

FEATURES
========

  * Simple and powerful interface.
  * History and Hotlist (bookmarks).
  * Recursive directory menu of entire file system tree.
  * Browse FTP directories as easy as normal directories.
  * FTP capabilities:
    - Copy: FTP files/directories upload/download (recursive).
    - FTP Delete (recursive), FTP Makedir, FTP Rename.
    - Supports FTP through proxy.
    - FTP resume download function.
    - Rule based configuration of FTP site logins (password/user/proxy).
    - Asynchronous file transfer.
    - Cached directory listings.
  * Asynchronous file operations.
  * Built-in command shell windows. Synchronized with file panels.
    These have history, aliases and file name completion.
  * Extendable by adding your own command buttons.
  * Very configurable.
  * User defined file pattern / actions. (*.jpg -> launch image viewer etc.)
  * Distributed under the GNU General Public License.

REQUIREMENTS
============

* A standard Unix platform or Windows NT or later.
* Tcl/Tk 8.5.7 or later.

FileRunner does not need rebuilding the wish binary.  It is pure Tcl/Tk and 
uses some helper programs as available on the host.  These functions are
configured by default and the user as needed.


COMPATIBLE PLATFORMS
====================

FileRunner has been verified to work on:

 - Linux
 - Windows XP

Past versions have worked on (but the current version is not tested on):
 - SunOS 4.x
 - Solaris 2.x
 - Irix 5.x
 - UnixWare 2.x
 - HP-UX
 - Dec Alpha OSF (Digital Unix)
 - FreeBSD
 - SCO OpenServer
 - AIX
 - NetBSD

INSTALLATION
============

Installation is fairly simple. 

Windows:

Under windows, if you use the fr.exe file, you just need to put the file in a
convenient location (usually you will want the path to it in your PATH 
environment variable).  You can, if you like, put a shortcut on your desktop 
(or where ever).  In additon, again if you like, you can change the icon to one
that is in the package by doing this:
1. Start filerunner.  It should start in the same directory you installed it.
2. Open a command window at the bottom of filerunner (use the icon that looks 
   like two window with a third below it. 
3. Type this command: %file copy /f/filerunner/fr.ico fr.ico
   This should put the file fr.ico in your currnet directory.
4. Use windows explorer to create a shortcut to fr.exe
5. Use windows explorer to modify the short cut to use the fr.ico file as the 
   icon (properties, change icon, browse).
6. You can then use filerunner or windows explorer to move the shortcut to the 
   desired location and possibly rename it.


Unix/Linux:

The main thing to note here is that you unpack directly to where the
stuff is to be installed. You never do a "make install". 

The packaged distribution is set up to both run and allow development
(the only real difference being the tools in the "Makefiles"
directory). 

  1. Unpack
  ---------

The first step is to get the archive unpacked.
Example:

  $ cd /usr/local/lib
  $ gzip -cd fr.tar.gz | tar xf -
  $ cd filerunner


You don't have to install in /usr/local/lib, you can install anywhere,
just make sure the link in step 3 is correct.

Filerunner is all Tcl/Tk.  There is no longer any C or other language 
content.  The make file included with the package is used only if you
modify the "FontControl" file and builds the "FontControl.tck" file by
striping bits of Tcl/Tk that, otherwise, allow FontControl to run as 
an independent program (for those who want to use it elsewhere).


  3. Making a soft link
  ---------------------

The final stage of installation is to soft-link the fr script to where
you want installed in your path. If you want it in /usr/local/bin, and
you unpacked the FileRunner archive under /usr/local/lib, you do the
following:

  $ ln -s /usr/local/lib/filerunner/fr /usr/local/bin/fr

It's important you make this a soft link and not just copy it. If you
don't, FileRunner will not find the rest of itself and will not start
up. It uses the link to find the necessary stuff it needs.

Last note: There is an icon GIF file "fr.gif" you can use if you need an
icon for FileRunner. I've tried to make a color icon default for
FileRunner but I can not figure out how to do this in Tcl/Tk...


  4. If you installed as root
  ---------------------------

If you have installed FileRunner as root you probably have erroneous
owner/group id's of the installed files. Do the following (as root):

  # chown -R root filerunner
  # chgrp -R root filerunner
  # chmod -R go-w filerunner

To fix permissions and ownership of the files.


WHERE TO GET FILERUNNER
=======================

Use this site:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/filerunner/files/


WHERE TO GET TCL/TK
===================

Please see the web page at
http://www.cd.chalmers.se/~hch/filerunner.html


COMMON PROBLEMS
===============

See the FAQ-file in the installation. Please also see chapter 13 in
the online guide.


KNOWN BUGS
==========

Please see the file KnownBugs.txt.


E-MAIL LIST WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS
==============================

Mail me if you are interested to be on the FileRunner announcement
mailing list. I won't send announcements of every release to the
newsgroups so if you want to know if a new release is out you should
either check the web page regularly or join the list.


FILERUNNER IS OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
==================================

FileRunner is Open Source software and is distributed under the GNU
General Public License. If you like it, send me a cool postcard so I
can fill the front of my fridge :-) See the end of the User's Guide
for my address.

FileRunner is Copyright (C) 1996-1999 Henrik Harmsen.
FileRunner is Copyright (C) 2010 Tom Turkey.


  Henrik Harmsen (the orgional author seems to have disappeared)

Email:
  tom@wildturkeyranch.net

For more contact info see online guide.


ADDENDUM
========

Note 1, The Debian distribution
-------------------------------

This note is to the manager of the Debian distribution.

To have the documentation for FileRunner somewhere other than in the
distribution directory (where all the other FileRunner stuff is):
Create a file in the distribution directory called "config" and put
the following line into this:

set glob(doclib_fr) /usr/local/doc/FileRunner

(Adjust it to the correct location). Then copy over the documentation
to this directory. See the online guide, chapter 6, about the
system-wide config file.





