wiki code:
[[TOC]]

= Help =

What you need to play Dracis:

== Web browser ==
[[Image:/graphics/wiki/firefox.png | Best get [http://www.mozilla.com/firefox Firefox].]]
Seeing as you are reading this, you probably have one.
If you do not use '''Firefox''', however, I strongly suggest you give it a try.
It really makes surfing more comfortable and protects you from all sorts of
exploits that Internet Explorer embraces happily. See the link at the bottom
of this site to get Firefox.

== Java ==
[[Image:/graphics/wiki/java.png | Get [http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp Java 1.5 here].]]
I'm not a big fan of Java, to be honest. But the Webstart framework seemed like a very
nice and easy way to distribute the clients. There might be hard-coded clients at
some point.

You now '''need''' Java 1.5. Previously, 1.4 worked as well, but there were
many issues that apparently only affected 1.4, so the new clients are all compiled
for 1.5 and won't work with 1.4 anymore.

[http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp Download Java 1.5 from Sun]

== Profile on Dracis ==
The basic profiles on Dracis are __free__ and there
are no hooks attached to them. Almost all information provided is optional
(apart from profile name, password and some "real name", which can be a
nickname you like or whatever). So just [/create/ create one] and give it a try.

== Operating system ==
As Dracis uses Java only in the clients right now, it should be as cross-platform as
Java itself. The installation uses the HOMEDIR and the client tries to be platform-specific
where needed (mainly URL-catching and default handling for filetypes). If there are
platform-specific bugs, please [/wiki/info/contact/ report them].

== Security ==
The clients do '''''request read/write access to your harddisk'''''; it's normal and entirely
valid to mistrust them and be careful with such software.
Basically, you have nothing but my word that ''Dracis won't harm your data or
spy around''.

The first time you start Dracis it will tell you that it wants to create a directory
called '''.dracis_client''' in your home directory. You can read what it is about to
do and then accept or deny it.

This directory is the '''''ONLY''' directory Dracis will ever write to''. The reason for
this directory is to save bandwidth. That's where all your decks will be stored --
those files are relatively large and would slow down the server and you if they
were downloaded each time you log on.

It will also store small wav-files there and
cache avatars you come across. As a result, you won't have to redownload avatars
over and over again, if you play with the same people.