added top level README file. It would be good if

people looked this over

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+Welcome to OpenSim! 
+
+Version 0.4
+
+== LICENSE ==
+
+Copyright (c) Contributors, http://opensimulator.org/
+See CONTRIBUTORS.TXT for a full list of copyright holders.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+    * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+      notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+     * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+      notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+      documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+    * Neither the name of the OpenSim Project nor the
+      names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products
+      derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE DEVELOPERS ``AS IS AND ANY EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
+DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE
+GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
+INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER
+IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR
+OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
+ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+
+== OVERVIEW ==
+
+OpenSim is a BSD Licensed Open Source project to develop a functioning
+virtual worlds server platform capable of supporting multiple clients
+and servers in a heterogeneous grid structure. OpenSim is written in
+C#, and can run under Mono or the Microsoft .NET runtimes.
+
+This is considered and alpha release.  Some stuff works, a lot
+doesn't.  If it breaks, you get to keep *both* pieces.
+
+== Installation on Windows ==
+
+Prereqs:
+
+ * Load OpenSim.sln into Visual Studio .NET and build the solution.
+ * chdir bin
+ * OpenSim.exe
+
+See configuring OpenSim
+
+== Installation on Linux ==
+
+Prereqs:
+ * Mono >= 1.2.3.1
+ * Nant >= 0.85
+ * sqlite3
+
+From the distribution type:
+ * nant
+ * cd bin
+ * mono ./OpenSim.exe
+
+See configuring OpenSim
+
+== Configuring OpenSim ==
+
+When OpenSim starts for the first time, you will be prompted with a
+series of questions that look something like:
+
+[09-17 03:54:40] DEFAULT REGION CONFIG: Simulator Name [OpenSim Test]:
+
+At each of these you must provide you own value or just hit enter to
+take the default (in this case "OpenSim Test").
+
+YOUR SIM WILL NOT BE STARTED UNTIL YOU ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS
+
+Once you are presented with a prompt that looks like:
+
+  Region# :
+
+You have successfully started OpenSim.
+
+== Connecting to your OpenSim ==
+
+By default your sim will be running on http://127.0.0.1:9000.  To use
+your OpenSim add -loginuri http://127.0.0.1:9000 to your second life
+client (running on the same machine as your OpenSim).
+
+== More Information on OpenSim ==
+
+More extensive information on building, running, and configuring
+OpenSim, as well as how to report bugs, and participate in the OpenSim
+project can always be found at http://opensimulator.org.
+
+Thanks for trying OpenSim, we hope it was a pleasant experience.