added readme

README.md

@@ -1,7 +1,111 @@
 
-# Alice LG
+# Alice LG - Your friendly bird looking glass
+
+Alice is a frontend to the API exposed by 
+services implementing Barry O'Donovan's
+[birds-eye API design](https://github.com/inex/birds-eye-design/) to
+[the BIRD routing daemon](http://bird.network.cz/):
+
+ * INEX Birdseye API (https://github.com/inex/birdseye)
+ * Birdwatcher (https://github.com/ecix/birdwatcher)
+
+
+The project was started at the
+[RIPE IXP Tools Hackathon](https://atlas.ripe.net/hackathon/ixp-tools/) 
+just prior to [RIPE73](https://ripe73.ripe.net/) in Madrid, Spain.
+
+
+## Building Alice from scratch
+
+Alice requires a working (and configured) `golang` installation
+for the backend.
+The frontend requires `npm` for building.
+
+
+Clone this repository in your go workspace and type
+`make`
+
+This will download all required *go* and *js* dependencies
+and will start building alice.
+
+
+## Installation
+
+For systemwide deployment it is advised to add the contents
+of the local `etc/` to your system's `/etc`
+directory.
+
+
+
+## Configuration
+
+An example configuration can be found under
+[etc/alicelg/alice.example.conf](https://github.com/ecix/alice/blob/master/etc/alicelg/alice.example.conf).
+
+You can copy it to any of the following locations:
+
+    etc/alicelg/alice.conf # local
+    etc/alicelg/alice.local.conf # local as well
+    /etc/alicelg/alice.conf # global
+
+
+You will have to at least edit it to add bird API servers:
+
+    [source.0]
+    name = rs1.example.com (IPv4)
+    [source.0.birdwatcher]
+    api = http://rs1.example.com:29184/
+    # Optional:
+    show_last_reboot = true
+    timezone = UTC
+
+    [source.1]
+    name = rs1.example.com (IPv6)
+    [source.1.birdwatcher]
+    api = http://rs1.example.com:29186/
+
+
+## Running
+
+Launch the server by running
+
+    ./bin/alice-lg-linux-amd64
+
+
+## Deployment
+
+We added a `Makefile` for packaging Alice as an RPM using [fpm](https://github.com/jordansissel/fpm).
+
+If you have all tools available locally, you can just type:
+
+    make rpm
+
+If you want to build the package on a remote machine, just use
+
+    make remote_rpm BUILD_SERVER=my-rpm-building-server.example.com
+
+which will copy the dist to the remote server and executes fpm via ssh.
+
+
+## Hacking
+
+The client is a Single Page React Application.
+All sources are available in `client/`. 
+
+Install build tools as needed:
+
+    npm install -g gulp-cli
+
+
+Create a fresh UI build with
+
+    cd client/
+    make client
+
+This will install all dependencies and run `gulp`.
+
+While working on the UI you might want to use `make watch`,
+which will keep the `gulp watch` task up and running.
 
-Your friendly looking glass with a bird backend and
-a tagline in need of improvments.