This is the distribution of Bonobo, the GNOME component and compound
document system for the GNU system.

* What is Bonobo

   Bonobo is a set of language and system independant CORBA interfaces
   for creating reusable components, controls and creating compound
   documents.

   The Bonobo distribution includes a Gtk+ based implementation of the
   Bonobo interfaces, enabling developers to create reusable
   components and applications that can be used to form more complex
   documents.

   If you want to look into a Java implementation of Bonobo, look in
   the GNOME CVS for the `monkeybeans' module (Erdi Gergo is the
   author), you can browse it at: http://cvs.gnome.org/bonsai

* Licensing

   Bonobo libraries are released under the terms of the GNU Lesser
   General Public License (GNU LGPL).  While components and programs
   included with this release are licensed under the terms of the GNU
   General Public License (GNU GPL).

   You can find copies of the licenses in the files COPYING.LIB and
   COPYING for the libraries and the code respectively.

* What you will need

   You will need a working GNOME 1.x system with the development tools
   to compile and install Bonobo.

   You also need OAF, the Object Activation Framework.

* Mailing lists

   gnome-components-list@gnome.org

   To subscribe, send mail to gnome-components-list-request@gnome.org
   and in the body of the message put the word "subscribe".

   Archive of the mailing list is available at:

     http://www.gnome.org/mailing-lists/archives/gnome-components-list

* The layout 

   You will find documentation for Bonobo in the "doc" directory.  The
   actual implementation of bonobo is in the "bonobo" directory.  The
   CORBA interfaces are in the "idl" directory.  Sample implementations
   of components and containers are in the "samples" directory.  You
   should use these implementations as your reference when you write
   Bonobo code.

* Bonobos

   The real Bonobos are endangered species.  If you want to help
preserve the Bonobos go to this web site: 

http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwbpf/bpf

Miguel de Icaza (miguel@gnu.org)
August, 1999.