1 files changed, 140 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/docs/installation_instructions_for_unix.md b/docs/installation_instructions_for_unix.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..79afc64e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/installation_instructions_for_unix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+# Installation instructions for Unix
+
+First of all, get the [latest ".tar.gz" package
+here](http://luarocks.github.io/luarocks/releases).
+
+The LuaRocks build system for Unix is based on a simple "configure" script and
+a Makefile. The "configure" script offers some flags that are useful for
+different models of use of LuaRocks. Run `./configure --help` for details.
+
+## Quick start
+
+To get a default installation of Lua and LuaRocks under `/usr/local`:
+
+First, ensure that you have development tools installed on your system,
+otherwise run the command below to install them.
+
+For Ubuntu/Debian systems, this should do it:
+
+``` 
+-$ sudo apt install build-essential libreadline-dev unzip
+```
+
+For Yum-based distributions, try this:
+
+``` 
+-$ sudo yum install libtermcap-devel ncurses-devel libevent-devel readline-devel
+```
+
+Then, to build and install Lua, either install it using your package
+manager of choice, or run the following commands to download the
+package tarball, extract, build and install it. (Replace 5.3.5 with the
+latest Lua version.)
+
+```
+-$ curl -R -O http://www.lua.org/ftp/lua-5.3.5.tar.gz
+-$ tar -zxf lua-5.3.5.tar.gz
+-$ cd lua-5.3.5
+-$ make linux test
+-$ sudo make install
+```
+
+Once Lua and its dependencies are installed, it is time to install LuaRocks:
+
+* Download and unpack [latest ".tar.gz" file](http://luarocks.github.io/luarocks/releases).
+
+* Run `./configure --with-lua-include=/usr/local/include`. (This will attempt
+  to detect your installation of Lua. If you get any error messages, see the
+  section [Customizing your settings](#customizing-your-settings), below.)
+
+* Run `make`.
+
+* As superuser, run `make install`.
+
+Installation should be done! Run `luarocks` with no arguments to 
+see a summary of your settings.
+
+This should be sufficient. For more information and installation options, read on.
+
+## The default settings
+
+The default settings are suitable for installing LuaRocks globally in your
+system while allowing both system-wide and per-user sets of rocks. User
+accounts will be able to install their own rocks in their $HOME directory, and
+the superuser can install rocks that will be available for everyone.
+
+By default LuaRocks will install itself in `/usr/local`, like Lua, and will
+use `/usr/local/etc/luarocks/config.lua` as a default path for the
+configuration file. The default system-wide rocks trees is configured as
+`/usr/local/lib/luarocks`, and per-user rocks install at
+`$HOME/.luarocks/rocks/`. Command-line scripts provided by rocks will be
+installed in `/usr/local/lib/luarocks/bin/` or `$HOME/.luarocks/bin/`,
+respectively. The user may then add these directories to their `$PATH`
+variable.
+
+## Customizing your settings
+
+All paths described above can be overridden with flags in the `configure`
+script, or entries in the configuration file. These are the supported flags,
+as presented by the `--help` option:
+
+```
+Installation directories:
+  --prefix=PREFIX              Directory where LuaRocks should be installed,
+                               Default is '/usr/local'
+
+By default, `make install' will install all the files in `/usr/local',
+`/usr/local/lib' etc.  You can specify an installation prefix other than
+`/usr/local/' using `--prefix', for instance `--prefix=$HOME'.
+
+For better control, use the options below.
+
+Fine tuning of the installation directories:
+  --sysconfdir=SYSCONFDIR      Directory for single-machine config.
+                               Default is PREFIX/etc
+
+Where to install files provided by rocks:
+  --rocks-tree=DIR             Root of the local tree of installed rocks.
+                               To make files installed in this location
+                               accessible to Lua and your $PATH, see
+                               "luarocks path --help" after installation.
+                               Avoid using paths controlled by your
+                               system's package manager, such as /usr.
+                               - Default is PREFIX
+
+Where is your Lua interpreter:
+  --lua-version=VERSION        Use specific Lua version: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, or 5.4
+                               - Default is auto-detected.
+  --with-lua-bin=LUA_BINDIR    Location of your Lua binar(y/ies).
+                               - Default is the directory of the
+                               auto-detected Lua interpreter,
+                               (or DIR/bin if --with-lua is used)
+  --with-lua=LUA_DIR           Use Lua from given directory. Default is LUA_BINDIR/..
+  --with-lua-include=DIR       Lua's includes dir. Default is LUA_DIR/include
+  --with-lua-lib=DIR           Lua's libraries dir. Default is LUA_DIR/lib
+  --with-lua-interpreter=NAME  Lua interpreter name.
+                               - Default is to auto-detected
+
+For specialized uses of LuaRocks:
+  --force-config               Force using a single config location.
+                               Do not honor the $LUAROCKS_CONFIG_5_x
+                               or $LUAROCKS_CONFIG environment
+                               variable or the user's local config.
+                               Useful to avoid conflicts when LuaRocks
+                               is embedded within an application.
+  --disable-incdir-check       If you do not wish to use "luarocks build",
+                               (e.g. when only deploying binary packages)
+                               you do not need lua.h installed. This flag
+                               skips the check for lua.h in "configure".
+
+```
+
+After installation, a default config file called config.lua will be installed
+at the directory defined by `--sysconfdir`. For further configuration of
+LuaRocks paths, see the [Config file format](config_file_format.md).
+
+## Next steps
+
+Once LuaRocks is installed, learn more about [using LuaRocks](using_luarocks.md).
+
+