Toplevel README
***************

   LilyPond  is a music  typesetter.  It  produces beautiful  sheet
music using  a description  file as  input.   LilyPond  is  part of
the  GNU Project.

Versioning
==========

   LilyPond uses a versioning scheme similar to the Linux kernel.  In a
version "x.y.z", an even second number 'y' denotes a stable version.
For development versions 'y' is odd.

   Version 1.6 is the latest stable release.

Downloading
===========

   The primary download site for sourcecode is
`ftp://ftp.cs.uu.nl/pub/GNU/LilyPond/'.

   If you have a slow connection, then you are advised to use xdelta
(ftp://ftp.xcf.berkeley.edu/pub/xdelta/) for patching source archives;
Xdelta (`.xd') files are supplied on the FTP site.

Compilation
===========

   For compiling and running LilyPond please refer to the installation
instructions.  These instructions can be found when you unpack
lilypond, as `lilypond-x.y.z/INSTALL.txt'. They are also available on
the web at
`http://lilypond.org/Documentation/topdocs/out-www/INSTALL.html'.

   NOTE: If you downloaded a binary (`.rpm' or use the Cygwin
`setup.exe' program, then you don't have to compile LilyPond.

Documentation
=============

   The documentation is available online at
`http://www.lilypond.org/Documentation/out-www/index.html'.

   You can also build it locally: follow the instructions under
`Building website' in the installation instructions.

Comments
========

   LilyPond is a long way from finished so we appreciate your criticism,
comments, bugreports, patches, etc. Please send them to the mailing
list, not to us personally.

   We have the following mailing lists:

   * info-lilypond@gnu.org
     (http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/info-lilypond) is a
     low-volume list for information on the GNU Music project.
     This list is moderated; ask     David R. Linn <drl@gnu.org> or
     Han-Wen <hanwen@cs.uu.nl> to send announcements for this list.

   * lilypond-devel@gnu.org
     (http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-devel)   For
     discussions about developing lilypond, in particular the unstable
     series.

   * lilypond-user@gnu.org
     (http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-user)   For
     discussions about using lilypond, in particular the stable series.

   * bug-lilypond@gnu.org
     (http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-lilypond) If you have
     bugreports, you should send them to this list.

   * lilypond-cvs@gnu.org
     (http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-cvs)   Commit
     messages for CVS development. This is a high-volume moderated
     list.

   You can search the lists from the following page: searching
facilities (http://lilypond.org/search).

Caveats
=======

   If you have installed a previous version, be sure to remove old font
files, eg.,
     rm `find /var/lib/texmf/fonts -name 'feta*'`
   a script to do this for you is left `buildscripts/out/clean-fonts'

Bugs
====

   Send bug reports to <bug-lilypond@gnu.org>.  For help and questions
use <lilypond-user@gnu.org>.  Please consult the documentation before
mailing your problems.