Introduction to the anonymous FTP site 'xraysoft'  (1/03/99)
============================================================ 

Crystallographic software (executables) available on this ftp-server is (are)
put in subdirectories for a number of supported platforms.

Programs such as PLATON are developed and in use by/with the National
Center for Single Crystal Service Crystallography in Utrecht 
(the Netherlands).

Sources on this server are all the most recent ones. Executables may be
compiled from earlier sources. Copying the executables is advised only when 
no local compiler is available. Compilation on DEC, SGI, SUN & LINUX
platforms can be done directly from the source code in 'pub/unix'.             

Most details are currently stuffed in the 'pub/unix' subdirectory and 
its sub-directories.

Documentation can be found on: http://www.cryst.chem.uu.nl/platon/

A complete UNIX-distribution with associated data of the PLATON-package
may be found in the file pub/unix/platon.tar.gz 

The software is currently developped on the DEC-Alpha/DEC-UNIX platform
and tested also on SUN, SGI and LINUX platforms.

Many users were helpful with bug-reports and suggestions, most of which
find their implementation in new distributions.

The most recent PLATON executables for the DOS-Windows PC-platform may 
be found on:

           http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/~louis/platon97/

VMS-Versions of PLATON may be obtained from Philip Fanwick (Purdue, USA)
via:

           ftp://xray.chem.purdue.edu

(All questions related to this VMS-version should be adressed to Philip 
 Fanwick: Fanwick@xray.chem.perdue.edu)

The PROGRAM PLATON is a living program, updated frequently with new features 
and repaired bugs. Each update is briefly documented in 
            
              pub/update_history_platon.

Manuals are offered in HTML format. The most recent version can be
obtained through the internet adress given above. 

Alternatively, Netscape is started automatically for up-to-date manual info 
with right button mouse-clicks on menu-items in PLATON running on a
networked computer.

Please always check/report problems encountered against the latest
version on this server since there is no support for older releases.

It is advised to keep backup copies of an earlier version that does
the kind of job that one is particularly interested in since it is 
possible that newer versions may temporarily fail for that feature
(Please report such problems to spea@chem.uu.nl). It is impossible
for me to test all possible options for each new release.

The programs are available free to academics and provided on the 
understanding that the author and his University is in no way liable
for any consequences of errors in the programs or their documentation.

Email: a.l.spek@chem.uu.nl