Markdown README.

README

@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-This the source code repository for the vitess project.
-For documentation on how install and use vitess,
-visit http://github.com/youtube/vitess/.
-
-Unless otherwise noted, the vitess source files are distributed
-under the BSD-style license found in the LICENSE file.

README.markdown

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+Vitess
+======
+
+Vitess is a set of servers and tools to facilitate scaling of MySQL
+databases for the web. It serves all of YouTube's MySQL traffic.
+
+Development
+-----------
+
+[Install Go](http://golang.org/doc/install).
+
+``` sh
+cd $WORKSPACE
+sudo apt-get install automake libtool flex bison  # to compile MySQL
+git clone git@github.com:youtube/vitess.git src/github.com/youtube/vitess
+cd src/github.com/youtube/vitess
+./bootstrap.sh
+. ./dev.env
+```
+
+Optionally:
+
+``` sh
+VTDATAROOT=... #  $VTROOT/vt if not set
+VTPORTSTART=15000
+```
+
+To run the tests:
+
+``` sh
+make  # run the tests
+```
+
+License
+-------
+
+Unless otherwise noted, the vitess source files are distributed
+under the BSD-style license found in the LICENSE file.