The insanity of  humanity . . .

FreeShare Client Quick Start Guide

After you have downloaded the FreeShare Client StuffIt archive, and extracted its contents, you can place the resulting FreeShare Client folder anywhere you like on your hard drive; even on a partition separate from your startup drive. After doing this, open the FreeShare Client folder and double-click the FreeShare Client application. It has a red and black "FS" icon. If the program launches successfully, you will now see the FreeShare Client Toolbar on your desktop, along with several other windows. If this is your first time using the FreeShare Client, and you don't have a preference file from a previous version of the FreeShare client, the setup wizard will prompt you to choose an online user name, as well as an icon. Once you provide this information, and click on the "Finish" button, you will automatically be connected to the FreeShare Support Server, also known as "Armageddon FREE Files", where you can begin to chat with other FreeShare users, post in the news areas, and download files. Button On The FreeShare Client Toolbar Returning to the FreeShare Client Toolbar, you will notice that there are currently eleven buttons on the toolbar: eight on the left side, and three on the right side. Some of these buttons will be dimmed until you actually connect to a server. Following is a quick explanation of each button: Button #1 - Options - Currently has an icon with "User Opts" enclosed by green stripes. Clicking this button will allow you to set your online user name, choose a personal icon, enter the size of the font you wish to use in different areas of the client, and on servers that you visit, set news viewing preferences, enable or disable sound effects, etc. Button #2 - Servers - Currently has an icon of a computer. Clicking this button will open the Servers window where you can choose a server to log onto. Button #3 - Online Users - Currently has an icon with three little people on it. Clicking this button will open the Online Users window. Unless you are connected to a server, this window will be blank. Once you are connected to a server, this window will show all of the users who are currently connected to the same server as you. Button #4 - Public Chat - Currently has an icon with the word "Chat" in a speech bubble. Clicking this button will open the public chat window. Until you actually connect to a server, this window will be blank. Even then, if you connect to a server, and no one is chatting, then the window will still be blank. Maybe you should take the initiative and start chatting first. Bear in mind that whatever you type here is visible to everyone on the server, and everyone on the server can participate as well. Button #5 - Paned News - Currently has an icon with a red pencil, a green piece of paper, and the letter "N". Clicking this button will open the paned news window where you can read any news that the server Admin, or any other users, have posted in any of the available news areas. Not all server Admins make the news available to guest users. If the button is dimmed, you may be able to read, but not post any messages yourself. In some cases, you may not even be able to access the news area. Button #6 - Flat News - Currently has an icon with a blue pencil, a yellow piece of paper, and the letter "M". Clicking this button will open the flat news window, also known as the messageboard. This is the old-style Hotline 1.2.3 news area. There is no paned or threaded news here. Its purpose is the same as the Paned News area. You can read any news that the server Admin, or any other users, have posted here. Not all server Admins make the news available to guest users. If the button is dimmed, you may be able to read, but not post any messages yourself. In some cases, you may not even be able to access the flat news area. Button #7 - Files Area - Currently has an icon with a blue folder and a downward-pointing yellow arrow. Clicking this button will open the "Files" window, and will show you all of the files that are available for viewing and downloading on the server you are visiting. You must actually be connected to a server for this button to work. Some server Admins place restrictions on who can download files from their server, and under what conditions. There are no download restrictions on the "Armageddon FREE Files" server. We are, and always have been, free. Button #8 - Tasks - Currently has an icon with a purple progress bar. Clicking this button will open the Tasks window, where you can observe the progress of file uploads and downloads, your connections to servers, the news loading, etc. Button #9 - Disconnect - Currently has an icon with a red "X". Clicking this button will disconnect you from whatever server you happen to be connected to at the time. This button will not be visible in the toolbar if you are not connected to a server. Button #10 - Site - Currently has an icon with a gradient blue design and the word "Site". Clicking this button will take you to the WunderWerkz Software website where you can learn the latest news about the FreeShare software suite, download the latest version, see screenshots, download the old Hotline documentation, read the Version History, etc. Button #11 - About - Currently has an icon with a blue letter "i", surrounded by a white field. Clicking this button will display the FreeShare Client splashscreen, where you can see the version number, as well as the WunderWerkz Software website address. Button #12 - Quit - Currently has an icon with the word "Quit" overlaying a stop sign. Clicking this button will obviously quit the FreeShare Client application. Additional Information For more in-depth information regarding how to use the FreeShare Client, please visit the FreeShare Support Server, (Armageddon FREE Files). A bookmark for the server is already included in your "Bookmarks" folder. To use the "FreeShare Support Server" bookmark, with your client running, do the following: 1. Open the "FreeShare Servers Window" by clicking on the "Servers" button found on the toolbar. 2. When the "FreeShare Servers Window" opens, open the "Bookmarks" folder which is found at the top of that window. 3. Select the "FreeShare Support Server" bookmark with your mouse. 4. With the "FreeShare Support Server" bookmark selected, click once on the first button located on the top left side of the window. Currently, it has an icon of an electrical plug. This will begin the connection process. The "Tasks" window will show the progress of your connection to our server. 5. Once a connection is established, the server Agreement will appear on your screen. Read it, and then click on the "Agree" button. Once you log onto the FreeShare Support Server, please take some time to read our news. You will find plenty of helpful information regarding how to use the FreeShare Client, as well as how to use the FreeShare Support Server. Again: Please read the news! You can also download the old Hotline documentation from our server as well. While the images in the documentation will be very different, the basic functionality described will be about the same. Thanks for downloading the FreeShare Client. We appreciate it. Please tell others about the FreeShare Client and Server Suite. Happy FreeSharing! WunderWerkz Software