About
=====

This is the GNU Taler merchant backend. It provides the logic that should run
at every GNU Taler merchant.  The GNU Taler merchant is a RESTful backend that
can be used to setup orders and process payments.  This component allows
merchants to receive payments without invading the customers' privacy. Of
course, this applies mostly for digital goods, as the merchant does not need
to know the customer's physical address.

A general-purpose merchant back-office single-page (HTML/JavaScript)
application is also included (alas, the source code for it is in another Git
repository).

This merchant backend must be combined with a merchant frontend, such as
an e-commerce application.  You can find a WooCommerce plugin, a snack
machine integration (taler-mdb) and various demonstrator front-ends at
https://git.taler.net/.


Joining GNU
===========

This is a GNU program, developed by the GNU Project and part of the
GNU Operating System. If you are the author of an awesome program and
want to join us in writing Free Software, please consider making it an
official GNU program and become a GNU maintainer.  You can find
instructions on how to do so at http://www.gnu.org/help/evaluation.
We are looking forward to hacking with you!


Installation
============

libjansson: MIT License, AGPL- and LGPL-Compatible, owned by Petri Lehtinen and other individuals
libgcrypt: LGPL, owned by Free Software Foundation
postgresql: PostgreSQL License, AGPL- and LGPL-Compatible, owned by The PostgreSQL
Global Development Group
libgnunetutil (in all of its variants): GPLv3+, owned by GNUnet e.V.
libqrencode: LGPL v2.1+, Copyright Kentaro Fukuchi


Source guide
============

'src/' contains the "backend", a C piece of software which implements crypto routines
   and communication with the 'exchange'
'doc/' contains documentation files, like TeXinfo