ninix-aya for Debian
----------------------

ninix-aya is a program which provides the Ukagaka-compatible platform.
Ukagaka platform provides desktop mascot characters which can perform
useful functions like opening a web page or checking e-mails. The characters
also talk to the user or say something.

Since ninix-aya only provides the platform, in order to play ninix-aya the
users must install at least one character and one balloon. The following
graph explains what they are.

___________    A__A
| balloon  >  ('v` )
-----------   (    )
              | |  |
              (_(__)

The character talks and what he said is shown in the balloon. The balloon
is changeable by the user. In order to run ninix-aya, the user must install
one balloon. Balloons usually can be found on the internet. For example,
http://happen.kotonet.com/craft_balloon.html is a web site which collects
balloons. Balloons are also possible shipped together with characters. A
balloon is usually packed into a .nar file which is .zip format.
To install balloons please invoke ninix and click the install button.

A character has two parts, the "ghost" and the "shell". The ghost is a
generator. It generates actions of a character. Ghosts are usually
designed as script languages. We called the script interpreter as "shiori".
Different kinds of shiori reads different syntax scripts. There are several
famous shiori like "kawari", "misaka", "aya", etc. Everyone can write
his own shiori according to the specs. The shell is a set of pictures
with configuration data. The pictures are the surface of the
character for users to see. A ghost and a shell forms a basic character.
And they are usually packed together in one .nar file. This site:
http://ghosttown.mikage.jp/ is a repository of characters.
As same as balloons, just click the install button when ninix starts and
then pick the .nar file for installation.

Please note that the characters and balloons are usually not
free software. There are free ones but not many. Also note that
some of the characters are for adults, not for children.

To perform misaka ghosts not in Shift-JIS charset, please install
python-chardet package. (For example, Chinese and Korean encodings)

To enable the ability for ghosts to change the gnome wallpaper, please
install python-gconf package.

And to perform kawari8 ghosts, please install kawari8 package.

 -- Ying-Chun Liu (PaulLiu) <paulliu@debian.org>, Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:31:40 +0800
