README

major reorganization of document structure;

                       The Isabelle System Distribution

Version information

   This is the internal repository version of Isabelle. See the NEWS file
   in the distribution for details on user-relevant changes.

System requirements

   Isabelle requires a regular Unix platform (e.g. GNU Linux) with the
   following additional software:
     * A full Standard ML Compiler (works best with Poly/ML 5.x).
     * The GNU bash shell (version 3.x or 2.x).
     * Perl (version 5.x).
     * GNU Emacs (version 21, 22) or XEmacs (version 21.4.x)
       -- for the Proof General interface.
     * A complete LaTeX installation -- for document preparation.

Installation

   Binary packages are available for Isabelle/HOL and ZF for several
   platforms from the Isabelle web page. The system may be easily
   built from scratch as well, taking the traditional tar.gz source
   distribution. See file INSTALL as distributed with Isabelle for
   more information.

   Further background information may be found in the Isabelle System
   Manual, distributed with the sources (directory doc).

User interface

   The canonical Isabelle user interface is Proof General by David
   Aspinall and others. It is a generic (X)Emacs interface for proof
   assistants, including Isabelle. Proof General is suitable for use
   by pacifists and Emacs militants alike. Its most prominent feature
   is script management, providing a metaphor of live proof script
   editing.

   Proof General is distributed together with the XEmacs X-Symbol
   package, which provides a reasonable way to get proper mathematical
   symbols displayed on screen.

Other sources of information

  The Isabelle Page

   The Isabelle home page may be accessed both from Cambridge and Munich:
     * http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/HVG/Isabelle/
     * http://isabelle.in.tum.de

  Mailing list

   The electronic mailing list [e-mail] provides a
   forum for Isabelle users to discuss problems and exchange
   information.  To join, send a message to
   [e-mail].

  Personal mail

   Lawrence C Paulson
   Computer Laboratory
   University of Cambridge
   JJ Thomson Avenue
   Cambridge CB3 0FD
   England
   E-mail: [e-mail]
   Phone: [phone]
   Fax: [phone]

   or

   Tobias Nipkow
   Institut fuer Informatik
   Technische Universitaet Muenchen
   Boltzmannstr. 3
   D-85748 Garching
   Germany
   E-mail: [e-mail]
   Phone: [phone]
   Fax: [phone]
     _________________________________________________________________

   Please report any problems you encounter. While we shall try to be
   helpful, we can accept no responsibility for the deficiencies of
   Isabelle and their consequences.
     _________________________________________________________________