--- 		     LOCKVC 1.9 (c) 1994,1995 by Matthias Straub       	   --- 
--- 		     this package was released under GPL	  	   ---
---		     see COPYING for details				   ---

	0. Introduction
	1. Installation
	2. Usage
	3. Changes
	4. Goals
	5. Problems
	6. Known Bugs
	7. Thanks


0. INTRODUCTION
	
	You're familiar with the situation:
	You leave your computer alone to get a bottle of the world's most
	famous soft drink, and when you come back, your terminal's taken,
	your data's lost, your resources destroyed, and the system's
	admin is asking you about those postings you've made on
	alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.
	Now it is too late to be sorry. You should have known better:
	This happened a thousand times before.
	Until now...


	LOCKVC is a console-locking-program combined with a starfield 
	screensaver. The actual version at this date (Dez 95) is 1.9.
	Executing LOCKVC on a virtual console brings up a starfield that
	starts to rotate around all three axes.
	All virtual consoles get locked, i.e. you cannot change to
	another VC and you can't stop the program by pressing any key-combos 
	(apart from ctrl-alt-delete, if not disabled by your admin).
	You can only exit the program by entering your system-password.
	Root's password will also terminate lockvc.
	The time, that the VCs can be locked may be limited by your 
	system's admin, this will be displayed on executing lockvc.
	If you fail to exit lockvc within this time, lockvc will
	terminate all your processes and log you out.
	
	The starfield uses vga-routines, so svgalib is required on your
	system and lockvc has to be run with root-privileges.


1. INSTALLATION

	+ This package comes with an executable. If you don't trust me,
	  you can type 'make' to compile and link the source.
	  If you want shadow-password support, take a look at the makefile.
	
	+ Get yourself root privileges and run 'make install'.
	  lockvc will be placed in '/usr/local/bin' unless changed in the 
	  makefile.
	
	+ If you want to limit the time the console can be locked by your
	  users, create '/etc/maxlock' and write the number of minutes
	  after which a user gets kicked out into the first line.
	  (see the sample maxlock-file)

	+ add an alias like ' alias lockvc="lockvc 600 8" '
	  to your global profile to set the default values for your machine.


2. USAGE

	usage: lockvc [ <number of stars>  <stride-value> ]

	Start lockvc with the number of displayed stars and the
	starfield's stride value as arguments.
	Try out the settings that fit best for your system.
	A 486/33 displays 500 stars at full frame rate with ease,
	so the default-values are 500 stars with a stride of 9.

 
3. CHANGES since version 1.0

	+ About 60% faster starfield-routine than in the previous
	  version. Therefor new default-values 500 9.
	
	+ Double-buffering for less flickering.
	
	+ lockvc now uses the user's system password as key.

	+ Option for root to limit the allowed time the console
	  can be locked by regular users.
   
   CHANGES since version 1.6
 
	+ some minor bugs removed

	+ Shadow-password option added by Ed Beaumont

   CHANGES since version 1.7

	+ double-length shadow-passwords and
	  passwords including spaces now work

	+ faster on 386, 486 due to integer math
	  derived from a patch by Jeff Epler
	  
   CHANGES since version 1.8
   
        + renamed uname -> uName, because uname is used in ELF 
	  include-files. 


4. GOALS for upcoming versions
	
	+ getting rid of the kernel-standard-screenblanker
	  and letting lockvc be the screensaver instead.
	
	+ additional screensavers to avoid boredom.

	+ turning lockvc2.0b into lockvc2.0.


5. PROBLEMS

	If for any reason lockvc refuses to terminate on a valid 
	password or key, you can still login remotely and kill 
	the lockvc-process, or reboot your system.


6. KNOWN BUGS

	All known bugs have been removed in this version ...
	... but there might be new ones.


7. THANKS go to 

	Harm Hanemaayer and Tommy Frandsen, the implementors of (s)vgalib
	who provided us with a great graphics-library.

	Lars Johannsen for his support.

	Ed Beaumont <morlok@abyss.apana.org.au> for the shadow-password
	routines and the man-page.

   Additional thanks for patches and bugfixes go to:

	Jeff Obik Epler <jepler@herbie.unl.edu>  
	Janusz Zamecki <janusz@sprocket.ict.pwr.wroc.pl>
	Sam <slouken@virtbrew.water.ca.gov>    
	Andreas Kies <andi@andiunx.m.isar.de> 
	Jeong-Ho Lee <jhlee@math.wisc.edu>
	Marc Merlin <merlin@efrei.fr>

--

Matthias Straub, s_straub@ira.uka.de
University of Karlsruhe, Germany
  
  
