1 files changed, 44 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e0acb52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# BitlBee
+
+![](http://bitlbee.org/style/logo.png)
+
+[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/bitlbee/bitlbee.svg)](https://travis-ci.org/bitlbee/bitlbee)
+[![Coverity Scan Build Status](https://scan.coverity.com/projects/4028/badge.svg)](https://scan.coverity.com/projects/4028)
+
+An IRC to other chat networks gateway
+
+Main website: http://www.bitlbee.org/
+
+Bug tracker: http://bugs.bitlbee.org/
+
+Wiki: http://wiki.bitlbee.org/
+
+License: GPLv2
+
+## Development
+
+Use github pull requests against the 'develop' branch to submit patches.
+
+The 'master' branch should be stable enough to be usable by users of the APT repo, but only requires a few days of testing in the 'develop' branch.
+
+Building:
+
+```
+./configure --debug=1
+# or, for a local install:
+# ./configure --debug=1 --prefix=$HOME/bitlbee --config=$HOME/bitlbee --pidfile=$HOME/bitlbee/bitlbee.pid
+
+# Also try --asan=1 for AddressSanitizer
+
+make
+
+BITLBEE_DEBUG=1 ./bitlbee -Dnv
+```
+
+See ./doc/README and ./doc/HACKING for more details.
+
+Mappings of bzr revisions to git commits (for historical purposes) are available in ./doc/git-bzr-rev-map
+
+## Help?
+
+Join **#BitlBee** on OFTC (**irc.oftc.net**) (OFTC, *not* FreeNode!) and flame us right in the face. :-)