README.FIRST

  Here is a fast overview of how to learn to use COPS; steps may be deleted,
ignored, or added at your discretion.

0)  It requires a unix system with a C compiler; the perl stuff
(optional) requires a perl version >= 3.44.  Better yet, >= 4.10.

1)  If you're upgrading from an older version, read "coverfile" for an
overview of the changes from last time.

2)  Read "README.1", either "README.2.sh" or "README.2.pl", depending
on which version you're going to run, and then "README.3".
1b) If applicible, look at the readme files in the "docs" directory
(e.g. "readme.svr4", etc.)  Alternately, read "quickstart" for a crash
course in installing/running COPS.  You may find it necessary to run
"bug.chk" (line 248 in "cops") with an optional architecture, depending
on whether "platform" can correctly identify your machine type.

3)  Run "reconfig" if uncertain about the pathnames to the system
executables that your system uses, or if you think they are at all
different than sun/generic BSD systems.

4)  "make" or "make install" (if installing, change line 7 in "makefile"
to specify where you want things to go.)  If you'd like to try the fast
crypt stuff (stolen from Crack), delete line 93 and uncomment lines 94-95.

5)  Change the "is_able.lst" and "crc_list" files to better represent
your type of system.

6)  Run COPS.  Usually something like "./cops -v -s . -b cops_errs" or
whatnot.  Also run "suid.chk".

7)  Read "docs/warnings" file for interpretations of results.
7b) If on a network and have more than one report, you may with to
run the CARP report analyzer (see the "carp" subdirectory; *ONLY*
useable with "cops -v" output files!)

8)  Fix problems that were flagged, examine the error log (cops_errs in
the above example) to see if cops had any troubles with anything, and
finally decide if you want to modify the exception filter (typically
"cops_filter", run with the -f flag; e.g. "cops -f cops_filter").

9)  Read various man pages, extra docs, and look at source code to see
if anything needs modifying or tweaking.

10)  Look at the extra stuff included.  In particular, if you have lots
of users, look at the "checkacct" stuff, in the directory of the same
name.  Also look at the "extra_src" directory for miscellaneous goodies.

11)  Put COPS in your system's cron/at (or repeat 5 manually), repeat #7
as deemed neccessary.


 g'luck...
 -- dan