230 lines
8.2 KiB
Markdown
230 lines
8.2 KiB
Markdown
This quick start guide is version **29.0.0 2025-11-30**.
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<div id="enter_questions">
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<div id="enter">
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# Entering the IOCCC: the bare minimum you need to know
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</div>
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</div>
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To submit your code to the IOCCC, you **MUST** follow these steps:
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<div id="step_0">
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## 0. Verify that the IOCCC is pending or open for submissions
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</div>
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First, check the "**[current status of the IOCCC](status.html)**" page to see current contest status.
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You may **only register for the IOCCC when the IOCCC is either [pending](faq.html#pending)
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or [open](faq.html#open)**.
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You may **only submit your entries to the IOCCC when the IOCCC is [open](faq.html#open)**.
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See also the [IOCCC news](news.html#news) for more information.
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<div id="step_1">
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## 1. Read the latest IOCCC rules and review the IOCCC guidelines
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</div>
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Please pay close attention to the [official IOCCC rules](next/rules.html).
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You are also **highly encouraged** to review the
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[official IOCCC guidelines](next/guidelines.html) as they contain important
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suggestions, useful hints, and IOCCC humor. :-)
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<div id="step_2">
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<div id="register">
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## 2. Register for the IOCCC
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</div>
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</div>
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**IMPORTANT**: You may **only register for the IOCCC when the IOCCC is either [pending](faq.html#pending)
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or [open](faq.html#open)**. See "**[current status of the IOCCC](status.html)**" page for details.
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If the contest is [pending](faq.html#pending) or [open](faq.html#open),
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then follow the directions on "**[how to register for the IOCCC](next/register.html)**".
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<div id="step_3">
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## 3. Wait for your submit server username and initial password
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</div>
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Once you have [registered for the IOCCC](next/register.html),
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and once the contest is **[OPEN](faq.html#open)**, one of the
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[IOCCC judges](judges.html) will send via email within a few days,
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your [IOCCC submit server](https://submit.ioccc.org) **Username** and
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**Initial password**.
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**PLEASE NOTE**: After registering, it could take up to a **few days**
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before an [IOCCC judge](judges.html) sends the that email, so **PLEASE
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be patient**. This means that you should **GIVE YOURSELF TIME** before the
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contest closes!
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**IMPORTANT NOTE**: Unless the contest is [open](faq.html#open),
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then you will **NOT** receive your **Username** and **Initial password**
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by email. For example, if the contest is [pending](faq.html#pending),
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you will have to **WAIT UNTIL THE CONTEST IS [OPEN](faq.html#open)**.
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Please check the "**[current status of the IOCCC](status.html)**" page and
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visit the "**[how to register for the IOCCC](next/register.html)**" page for detailed instructions.
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**NOTE**: If are having trouble receiving your **Username** and **Initial
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password**, and the **CONTEST IS [OPEN](faq.html#open)**, and
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have you checked your spam folder, [Contact the IOCCC](contact.html)
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for assistance.
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<div id="step_4">
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## 4. Login to the submit server and change your password
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</div>
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Using the **Username** and **Initial password** you receive via email in
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[step 3](#step_3), you need to login to the [IOCCC submit server](https://submit.ioccc.org).
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**IMPORTANT NOTE**: You must change your password **WITHIN 14 DAYS**
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from when one of the [IOCCC judges](judges.html) sent that email.
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**NOTE**: The [IOCCC submit server](https://submit.ioccc.org)
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is ready for submissions **ONLY WHEN THE CONTEST IS [open](faq.html#open)**.
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Please visit the "**[change your submit server initial password](next/pw-change.html)**" page for detailed instructions.
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<div id="step_5">
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## 5. Obtain and compile the latest mkiocccentry toolkit
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</div>
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Once the contest is [open](faq.html#open), download the most recent
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version of the [mkiocccentry toolkit](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry).
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**IMPORTANT NOTE**: While the contest is [pending](faq.html#pending),
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the [mkiocccentry toolkit](https://github.com/ioccc-src/mkiocccentry)
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could change. Once the content is [open](faq.html#open), be sure
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you **have the latest** version installed.
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To help you, please see the
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FAQ on "[how to obtain the most recent mkiocccentry](faq.html#obtaining_mkiocccentry)",
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the
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FAQ on "[compiling mkiocccentry toolkit](faq.html#compiling_mkiocccentry)"
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and the
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FAQ on "[installing the mkiocccentry tools](faq.html#install)"
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for more details.
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<div id="step_6">
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## 6. Run the mkiocccentry tool to form your submission tarball
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</div>
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For more details on `mkiocccentry`, what it is, how to obtain it and how to use
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it, see the
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FAQ on "[mkiocccentry](faq.html#mkiocccentry)"
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(especially the
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FAQ on "[what mkiocccentry is in simple terms](faq.html#about_mkiocccentry),
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the
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FAQ on "[how to use mkiocccentry](faq.html#using_mkiocccentry)")
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and the [mkiocccentry section in the
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guidelines](next/guidelines.html#mkiocccentry).
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``` <!---sh-->
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mkiocccentry [options] workdir topdir
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```
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where:
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* `workdir`
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directory where the submission directory and tarball are formed
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* `topdir`
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directory where your files to be packaged are in
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Three files are required to exist in `topdir`:
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* `prog.c`
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path to the C source for your submission
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* `Makefile`
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Makefile to build (make all) and clean up (make clean & make clobber) as well
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as the other required files
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* `remarks.md`
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Remarks about your entry in markdown format: see the
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FAQ on "[remarks.md](faq.html#remarks_md)"
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for more info.
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**NOTE**: Please see our [IOCCC markdown guide](markdown.html) for **important information** on using markdown in the IOCCC.
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If the `mkiocccentry` tool indicates that there is a problem with your
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submission, especially if it identifies a
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[Rule 2 - Size restrictions](next/rules.html#rule2-size),
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or any other [rule](next/rules.html), related problem, you are **strongly** encouraged to revise and
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correct your entry and then re-run the `mkiocccentry` tool.
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If you choose to risk violating [Rules](next/rules.html), be sure and explain your reason
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for doing so in your `remarks.md` file.
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See also
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[Rule 17 - Use mkiocccentry](next/rules.html#rule17-mkiocccentry)!
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**IMPORTANT NOTE**: the tools that require other tools, `mkiocccentry(1)` and
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`txzchk(1)`, will, as of version `2.0.2 2025-03-11`, search under `$PATH`. If
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you have an earlier version and you have not installed the tools and run the
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tools from outside the repo directory, you will have to use the options to the
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tools to set the path to the required tools.
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Do remember to make sure you have the latest vers
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`chksubmit(1)`, `txzchk(1)` and `fnamchk(1)`. And remember to make sure you have
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the latest version so you do not violate
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[Rule 17 - Use mkiocccentry](next/rules.html#rule17-mkiocccentry).
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See the
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FAQ on "[obtaining the latest mkiocccentry tools](faq.html#obtaining_mkiocccentry)",
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the
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FAQ on "[compiling the mkiocccentry tools](faq.html#compiling_mkiocccentry)",
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the
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FAQ on "[installing the mkiocccentry tools](faq.html#installing)"
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and the
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FAQ on "[using the mkiocccentry tools](faq.html#using_mkiocccentry)"
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for more help.
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See also the
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FAQ on "[what the minimum required versions are for this
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contest](faq.html#minimum_versions)"
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for more details on how to verify you have the correct versions for this
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contest.
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<div id="step_7">
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<div id="submit">
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## 7. Upload your submission to the IOCCC submit server
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</div>
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</div>
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The screenshots on the "**[how to upload your submission to the IOCCC](next/submit.html)**" page
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might be a helpful guide when using the [IOCCC submit server](https://submit.ioccc.org).
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**NOTE**: You may modify a previous uploaded submission, if the contest is
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[open](faq.html#open), by replacing the file in a slot. Please use the
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[mkiocccentry tool](faq.html#mkiocccentry) to rebuild the compressed tarball as
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this will update the timestamps and the filename generated, as well as packaging
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any changes: making it clear to the [IOCCC judges](judges.html) that you intend
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to replace the older upload.
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**IMPORTANT NOTE**: The [IOCCC submit server](https://submit.ioccc.org)
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is ready for submissions
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**ONLY WHEN THE CONTEST IS [open](faq.html#open)**.
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See the "**[current status of the IOCCC](status.html)**" page for details on the contest status.
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**IMPORTANT NOTE**: When the contest is [closed](faq.html#closed), the
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[IOCCC submit server](https://submit.ioccc.org)
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might be offline and unreachable as a website.
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**NOTE**: if you do need to update a submission, you might find the
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FAQ on "[how to not have to re-enter information more than once](faq.html#answers_file)"
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useful.
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