Merge pull request #8 from horizon-rust/docs/readme-downloads

README: the download home of Horizon's standalone server

README.md

@@ -1,9 +1,61 @@
 # Horizon Server
 
-A Minecraft: Java Edition 26.3 server written in Rust, built for Horizon players first: the fastest server we can
-make, with vanilla's rules. Horizon clients get extras through a fast path; vanilla Java clients can join too.
+A standalone Minecraft: Java Edition 26.3 server written in Rust. Download it here if you only want an
+optimized server. Vanilla Java clients and [Horizon](https://github.com/horizon-rust/horizon) clients can both
+join. Gameplay follows vanilla 26.3: Horizon checks it against the real game with more than 300 parity tests.
 
-It reuses Horizon's vanilla-exact crates (world generation, block behaviour, protocol) from
-[horizon-rust/horizon](https://github.com/horizon-rust/horizon).
+## Where it comes from
 
-**Status: design.** The design, the measured baseline and the plan come first, in `docs/design.md`. No code yet.
+This repo holds no code. The server is built from
+[horizon-rust/horizon](https://github.com/horizon-rust/horizon), the same code that runs Horizon's single
+player and LAN worlds:
+
+- **the engine**: `horizon-engine`, the game run headless (`horizon-client --dedicated`), built without sound
+  or controller support;
+- **the supervisor**: `horizon-server`, the program you run. It covers `server.toml`, the console, the web panel,
+  backups, updates, crash restarts, and a control API on 127.0.0.1.
+
+Report bugs and send pull requests to [horizon-rust/horizon](https://github.com/horizon-rust/horizon/issues).
+How the server is getting faster, measured against vanilla and Pumpkin:
+[docs/server-next.md](https://github.com/horizon-rust/horizon/blob/main/docs/server-next.md).
+
+## Downloads
+
+**Planned:** this repo's releases, one archive per OS. Each one is made from a Horizon release tag
+([#3974](https://github.com/horizon-rust/horizon/issues/3974)). The release workflow:
+
+1. runs when horizon-rust/horizon publishes a release;
+2. downloads that release's server archives and checks them against its signed `SHA256SUMS`;
+3. publishes them here unchanged, under the same tag, with the same checksums.
+
+Nothing is rebuilt here, so a download from either repo is byte for byte the same.
+
+**Until then**, use Horizon's own releases:
+- Linux: `horizon-server-linux-x86_64.tar.gz`.
+- macOS and Windows: the game archive, which also holds `horizon-server`.
+
+Or use the installer:
+
+```sh
+curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/horizon-rust/horizon/main/packaging/server/install.sh | sh
+```
+
+On Windows: `irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/horizon-rust/horizon/main/packaging/server/install.ps1 | iex`.
+
+## Game files
+
+The server needs the vanilla 26.3 data, prepared from **your own** copy of Minecraft. Nothing of Mojang's is
+redistributed here, and nothing is downloaded for you. Steps:
+[docs/hosting.md](https://github.com/horizon-rust/horizon/blob/main/docs/hosting.md).
+
+## Accounts
+
+`online_mode = true` is the default, as on every Minecraft server: each player's account is checked with
+Mojang's services. You can turn it off, as on vanilla's server, but an offline server checks no accounts.
+Anyone who reaches it can join under any name, so keep it on your LAN or a tailnet. More in
+[docs/hosting.md](https://github.com/horizon-rust/horizon/blob/main/docs/hosting.md), "Before you start".
+
+## License
+
+MIT, like Horizon. Minecraft is a trademark of Mojang Studios. This project is not affiliated with Mojang or
+Microsoft.