RCS $Id: readme.txt,v 1.7 1996/09/11 05:30:30 yu Exp $

README file for xearth foe Win32, version 1.10
Erwin Yu <eyu@mailhost.net>
19 August 1995


WHAT IS IT?

    Xearth for Win32 ( also know as wearth, wearth32 ) 
    sets your Windows wallpaper to an image of the Earth, as seen
    from your favorite vantage point in space, correctly shaded for
    the current position of the Sun. By default, xearth updates the
    displayed image every two minutes; the time between updates can
    be changed using a command line option. Xearth can also render
    directly into BMP and GIF files instead of drawing in the wallpaper;
    see the help file for details.

HISTORY

Release history for Xearth for Win32, version 1.10
Erwin Yu <eyu@mailhost.net>
21 August 1996

xearth for Win32 version 1.10 (20 August 1996)

  Many new features:

  	* use much less system resource.
	* can output to a bmp or gif file.
	* auto detect desktop size.
	* -icon/-noicon option added.
	

xearth for Win32 version 1.0 (15 Nov 1995)
  
  Erwin Yu <eyu@mailhost.net> got xearth foe X-window and managed
  to port it to Win32 platform.

xearth for X-Window version 1.0 (29 September 1995)

  Released by Kirk Lauritz Johnson <tuna@cag.lcs.mit.edu>.

WHERE TO GET IT?

    The latest version of xearth for Win32 should be available via
    anonymous ftp from ftp://ftp.winsite.com/pub/pc/win95/desktop/
	or its mirror sites.


INSTALLATION
	First, pkunzip the zip file you downloaded ( you have already done
	that, don't you? ), copy the file wearth32.exe to a directory
	in your path ( the windows directory is a good place ).
	
	Second, if you are using Windows NT 3.x, go to the Program manager,
	open a program group window, select menu : File-New-Program Item,
	add "wearth32.exe" to the Command Line Box and append any option
	you want to it ( study the help file for details of options ).
	If you are using Windows 95, right click on the desktop,
	select New-shortcut, fill the command line box with "wearth32.exe"
	and any option you want.
	
	Then, double click the icon you just created, the earth will appear.

	You can also add the item to the "Startup" Group/Menu, so the
	wearth will be started with the Windows, in this case, you'd 
	better use the "-icon" option so you can close wearth easily
	when you want.

	Xearth for Win32 can also run on Windows with Win32s installed, but
	the "-wait" cannot work, but you still can use it to output to
	a file or using the "-once" option.

BUGS

	All windows on the screen will be redraw when the wallpaper has been
	updated, but IT IS NOT MY BUG, it's MicroSoft's.

NOTES

	Thanks to Krik Johnson <tuna@cag.lcs.mit.edu> for the original
	Xearth for X-Window system. 

	And Thanks to everybody that sent encouragement, ideas, bug reports
	to me. 

AUTHOR

    Erwin Yu <eyu@mailhost.net>

	Erwin Yu (Chinese name is Yu, Zheli) is a Chinese who is 
	living in Shanghai now and working in the Huatek Software 
	Engineering Co. Ltd.

LEGAL STUFF

    Copyright (C) 1995, 1996 Erwin Yu

    Parts of the source code are:
	  Copyright (C) 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995 Kirk Lauritz Johnson
      Copyright (C) 1989, 1990, 1991 by Jim Frost
      Copyright (C) 1992 by Jamie Zawinski <jwz@lucid.com>

    Permission to use, copy, modify and freely distribute xearth for
    non-commercial and not-for-profit purposes is hereby granted
    without fee, provided that both the above copyright notice and
    this permission notice appear in all copies and in supporting
    documentation.	

    Unisys Corporation holds worldwide patent rights on the Lempel Zev
    Welch (LZW) compression technique employed in the CompuServe GIF
    image file format as well as in other formats. Unisys has made it
    clear, however, that it does not require licensing or fees to be
    paid for freely distributed, non-commercial applications (such as
    xearth) that employ LZW/GIF technology. Those wishing further
    information about licensing the LZW patent should contact Unisys
    directly at (lzw_info@unisys.com) or by writing to

      Unisys Corporation
      Welch Licensing Department
      M/S-C1SW19
      P.O. Box 500
      Blue Bell, PA 19424

    The author makes no representations about the suitability of this
    software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express
    or implied warranty.

    THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE,
    INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS,
    IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT
    OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM
    LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
    NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN
    CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
