rename README to README.md

It uses markdown-specific formatting, but Github will only render it as
markdown if it ends with the `.md` file extension

1 files changed, 69 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..338fb90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+Autoconf Archive
+================
+
+The GNU Autoconf Archive is a collection of more than 500 macros for [GNU
+Autoconf](http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf) that have been contributed
+as free software by friendly supporters of the cause from all over the
+Internet. Every single one of those macros can be re-used without imposing
+any restrictions whatsoever on the licensing of the generated configure
+script. In particular, it is possible to use all those macros in configure
+scripts that are meant for non-free software. This policy is unusual for a
+Free Software Foundation project. The FSF firmly believes that software
+ought to be free, and software licenses like the GPL are specifically
+designed to ensure that derivative work based on free software must be
+free as well. In case of Autoconf, however, an exception has been made,
+because Autoconf is at such a pivotal position in the software development
+tool chain that the benefits from having this tool available as widely as
+possible outweigh the disadvantage that some authors may choose to use it,
+too, for proprietary software.
+
+The best place to start exploring the Archive is the [on-line
+documentation](http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf-archive/). There is
+also the [Autoconf Archive home
+page](http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/autoconf-archive/) at Savannah and
+a [Github mirror](https://github.com/peti/autoconf-archive).
+
+Downloads
+---------
+
+Here are the compressed sources:
+
+-   <http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/autoconf-archive/autoconf-archive-2014.10.15.tar.xz>
+-   <http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/autoconf-archive/autoconf-archive-2014.10.15.tar.lz>
+
+Here are the GPG detached signatures:
+
+-   <http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/autoconf-archive/autoconf-archive-2014.10.15.tar.xz.sig>
+-   <http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/autoconf-archive/autoconf-archive-2014.10.15.tar.lz.sig>
+
+You can use either of the above signature files to verify that the
+corresponding file (without the .sig suffix) is intact. First, be sure
+to download both the .sig file and the corresponding tarball. Then, run
+a command like this:
+
+    gpg --verify autoconf-archive-2014.10.15.tar.xz.sig
+
+If that command fails because you don't have the required public key,
+then run this command to import it:
+
+    gpg --keyserver keys.gnupg.net --recv-keys 99089D72
+
+and rerun the `gpg --verify` command.
+
+License
+-------
+
+Copyright (c) 2014 Autoconf Archive Maintainers \<<autoconf-archive-maintainers@gnu.org>\>
+
+The GNU Autoconf Archive is free software: you can redistribute it and/or
+modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published
+by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at
+your option) any later version.
+
+The GNU Autoconf Archive is distributed in the hope that it will be
+useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General
+Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+with the GNU Autoconf Archive. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.