If this is the first time that you have access to ABINIT, or that you receive an ABINIT announcement, welcome!
On the Web site, you will find a lot of things, including different versions of ABINIT, installation notes, release notes, help files (tutorial, list of input variables), pseudopotentials, some utilities, mailing lists, some documentation. Even more information on ABINIT is given directly in the package. The best entry point, after the installation, is likely the "new user's guide".
Starting with version 3, in 2002, ABINIT has been distributed under the GNU General Public Licence. The GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the software is free for all its users. To protect these rights, one needs to make restrictions that forbid anyone to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights. These restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it.
Usually, a version of ABINIT is released only when it has been installed 'successfully' on 20 different platforms. A successful installation includes a battery of more than 1000 tests, whose results are automatically analyzed (this does not guarantee that the code is bug free, however, and the contribution of testers is crucial).
A last word: we strongly suggest that you register on the forum mailing list and the ABINIT announce mailing list (low traffic). This is still, for the time being, the best way to keep in touch with the evolution of ABINIT.
Have fun with ABINIT!
Xavier and the ABINIT group.
