Add a README file for some background information about this repo

Let's add some general information about this repository, links to
redmine, gerrit, the mailing list, etc.

Change-Id: If034c6f551ff9bfaff0b8368fd0963f3147155b9

2 files changed, 81 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e5639d37..6ef275f4 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ $(top_srcdir)/.version:
 dist-hook:
 	echo $(VERSION) > $(distdir)/.tarball-version
 
-EXTRA_DIST = git-version-gen .version
+EXTRA_DIST = git-version-gen .version README.md
 
 if HAVE_DOXYGEN
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d09a4b86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+libosmocore - set of Osmocom core libraries
+===========================================
+
+This repository contains a set of C-language libraries that form the
+core infrastructure of many [Osmocom](https://osmocom.org/) Open Source
+Mobile Communications projects.
+
+Historically, a lot of this code was developed as part of the
+[OpenBSC](https://osmocom.org/projects/openbsc) project, but which are
+of a more generic nature and thus useful to (at least) other programs
+that we develop in the sphere of Free Software / Open Source mobile
+communications.
+
+There is no clear scope of it. We simply move all shared code between
+the various Osmocom projects in this library to avoid code duplication.
+
+The libosmcoore.git repository build multiple libraries:
+
+* **libosmocore** contains some general-purpose functions like select-loop
+  abstraction, message buffers, timers, linked lists
+* **libosmovty** contains routines related to the interactive command-line
+  interface called VTY
+* **libosmogsm** contains definitions and helper code related to GSM protocols
+* **libosmoctrl** contains a shared implementation of the Osmocom control
+  interface
+* **libosmogb** contains an implementation of the Gb interface with its
+  NS/BSSGP protocols
+* **libosmocodec** contains an implementation of GSM voice codecs
+* **libosmocoding** contains an implementation of GSM channel coding
+* **libosmosim** contains infrastructure to interface SIM/UICC/USIM cards
+* **libosmotrau** contains encoding/decoding functions for A-bis TRAU frames
+
+
+Homepage
+--------
+
+The official homepage of the project is
+https://osmocom.org/projects/libosmocore/wiki/Libosmocore
+
+GIT Repository
+--------------
+
+You can clone from the official libosmocore.git repository using
+
+	git clone git://git.osmocom.org/libosmocore.git
+
+There is a cgit interface at http://git.osmocom.org/libosmocore/
+
+Documentation
+-------------
+
+Doxygen-generated API documentation is generated during the build
+process, but also available online for each of the sub-libraries at
+http://ftp.osmocom.org/api/latest/libosmocore/
+
+Mailing List
+------------
+
+Discussions related to libosmocore are happening on the
+openbsc@lists.osmocom.org mailing list, please see
+https://lists.osmocom.org/mailman/listinfo/openbsc for subscription
+options and the list archive.
+
+Please observe the [Osmocom Mailing List
+Rules](https://osmocom.org/projects/cellular-infrastructure/wiki/Mailing_List_Rules)
+when posting.
+
+Contributing
+------------
+
+Our coding standards are described at
+https://osmocom.org/projects/cellular-infrastructure/wiki/Coding_standards
+
+We us a gerrit based patch submission/review process for managing
+contributions.  Please see
+https://osmocom.org/projects/cellular-infrastructure/wiki/Gerrit for
+more details
+
+The current patch queue for libosmocore can be seen at
+https://gerrit.osmocom.org/#/q/project:libosmocore+status:open