Jan. 16, 1995.

Welcome to SlipKnot Version 1.1

The first operation is to run the program and set up all of the terminal
characteristics before trying to connect to your UNIX host.  Before trying
the Terminal setup dance, bring up the Help documentation, and keep it
visible while going through the settings.

Note that since SlipKnot is also an offline WEB renderer, after
bringing up SlipKnot, you can immediately press the "World Wide Web"
button, which should show you SlipKnot's local home pages (try it!).

=================== Known problems and workarounds =======================

If you are having initialization difficulties, please read the SNTFAQ.TXT
document that came inside the distribution file.

1. If you are having problems with "Host Initialization", (when you attempt
   to press the "to World Wide Web" button for the first time) there is a
   temporary Debug menu item that will log modem traffic (and other
   debugging information) to a file called: SLIPKNOT.DEB. Turn on this
   option just before pressing the "to World Wide Web" button, and turn it
   off just after the failure.  Peruse this file (though it may not be very
   meaningful), or send it to us (slpstaff@pipeline.com).

2. There are known problems (as of Jan. 16, 1995) with the Korn shell (ksh)
   on the Netcom service as well as the zsh shell on Panix.  These problems
   manifest themselves as failed Web document retrievals.  If you are a
   user of Netcom and the ksh shell, or a Panix user of the zsh shell, please 
   change shells prior to pressing the "World Wide Web" button.
   
3. If a document retrieval appears to be stuck, first check whether it
   really is by looking at your modem lights (if you have an external
   modem) and checking whether there is any data coming in.  If so,
   let it go for a while.  Sometimes the document retrieval odometer
   (showing how many bytes have been downloaded) doesn't move.  Click
   momentarily on the red window to unstick the odometer.  If these
   instructions are gibberish now (because you are reading the README
   before seeing the program in action), you'll know what we mean when the
   WEB renderer starts working.  If it is still stuck, close the document
   retrieval window (the one that is in red) by double-clicking on the
   control button in the upper-left (the way you normally close any
   window).

3. SlipKnot will not currently run on OS/2-Windows, and may have difficulty
   with Norton DeskTop and/or a program called VSAFE.

===================== SlipKnot limitations ==============================

1. SlipKnot cannot display "forms" within documents.  The "forms" will
   simply not appear.  This is a new World-Wide-Web HTML capability (for
   those of you who understand this jargon), and we are working on it for a
   future release.

2. Likewise, SlipKnot does not yet perform a WWW operation called
   "authentication". This operation is much more rarely required.

3. SlipKnot will retrieve documents using the HTTP, FTP and GOPHER
   protocols. No MailTo or other protocols yet.  However, SlipKnot has a
   Terminal window into your UNIX session which is accessible at any time
   (except when you are retrieving documents).  You can use this Terminal
   window to run your peronal mail program or news reader, or any other
   UNIX operation that you normally use.
   

======================== SlipKnot Feature List ==========================

SlipKnot was designed from the ground up for modem users -- using slower
communications lines than folks on expensive high-speed links to the
Internet.  Hence, many of the features were included to make life easier
specifically for us lower-speed folks.

Some of these features you may already be aware of, some not.

1. Of course, no SLIP or PPP or TCP/IP services required from your host.

2. Background document retrieval while browsing documents in the foreground.

3. Save entire documents (including embedded pictures) in your own
   user-defined folders for later display.  This allows you to demo the WWW
   without being online.  Also, this is kinder to the Internet, since you
   do not have to retrieve those favorite documents every time you want to
   display them.
   
4. Up to 5 different documents can be displayed on the screen simultaneously.

5. You need not wait for a document to come in before asking for another
   one.  You can ask for the retrieval of many documents, and these
   requests will be queued up to be activated one-by-one.

6. Ability to switch between WWW and your UNIX terminal session whenever
   you wish (except then you are in the middle of retrieving a document).
   
7. An "infinite history cache" saves all documents you have retrieved
   during any session in a temporary directory, and even saves them between
   sessions if you desire (limited only by available disk space).

8. Since SlipKnot is an Internet communications program, it can upgrade
   itself when new versions become available. You can use its One-Touch
   Upgrade mechanism (three touches, actually) to download just the version
   changes and activate SlipKnot's upgrade program.  
   
9. Change screen fonts and colors, printer fonts, document colors, etc.
   And then use SlipKnot's built-in documents to test the appearance of
   your chosen fonts and colors.

10. You can choose not to retrieve the pictures embedded inside documents
    and speed up the downloading process significantly.  Then, if you
    change your mind, ask SlipKnot to get the same document with the
    pictures.

11. Install "viewers" to handle files of various types.  For instance,
    SlipKnot already comes with 2 "viewers": 1) LVIEW31 to view and
    manipulate graphics files and 2) WPLANY to play sound clips.

12. Use SlipKnot to help you develop your own home pages.  If you master
    the document language, HTML, or use an HTML-editor, you can use
    SlipKnot to display the pages while you are working on them.

13. Use SlipKnot to retrieve files from anonymous FTP sites.  If you know
    how to express your request for a file in the form of a URL, SlipKnot
    will retrieve it for you (in the background, as usual), and place the
    file wherever you wish.

14. SlipKnot contains some features to handle screen clutter (especially if
    you have several documents displayed simultaneously).  There is an icon
    to help you cycle through your visible documents (in case one is hidden
    behind another).  And if you minimize a visible document, a small
    numbered icon appears in a prominent place to help you display it again
    immediately.
    
15. SlipKnot has an (optional) scripting language to automate your login
    and logout procedures.

16. You can also use the SlipKnot Terminal to upload and download files.

17. After you complete the setup process and are successfully using
    SlipKnot, you can pass on the complete setup information to others,
    because it is all saved in a text file (except for your login id and
    password).  These settings can be posted as downloadable files.
    Conversely, you can receive these settings from other users on the same
    UNIX system if you are having trouble.


Peter Brooks
MicroMind, Inc.
slpstaff@pipeline.com