Improve documentation (#1360)

* Improve markdown documentation in README.md

This commit fixes some of the minor spelling mistakes and uses
markdown formatting to link to local files, for documentation.

* Remove reference to outdated packages installation

This is a legacy installation file that is no longer maintained.

README.md

@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 This archive contains the source code of VeraCrypt.
-It is based on original TrueCrypt 7.1a with security enhancements and modifications.
+It is based on the original TrueCrypt 7.1a with security enhancements and modifications.
 
-
+# Important
-Important
-=========
 
 You may use the source code contained in this archive only if you accept and
 agree to the license terms contained in the file 'License.txt', which is
@@ -12,10 +10,7 @@ included in this archive.
 Note that the license specifies, for example, that a derived work must not be
 called 'TrueCrypt' or 'VeraCrypt'
 
-
+# Contents
-
-Contents
-========
 
 [I. Windows](#i-windows)
 
@@ -29,22 +24,18 @@ Contents
 
 [VI. Further Information](#vi-further-information)
 
+# I. Windows
 
-
+## Requirements for Building VeraCrypt for Windows:
-I. Windows
-==========
-
-Requirements for Building VeraCrypt for Windows:
-------------------------------------------------
 
 A detailed guide on how to build VeraCrypt on Windows can be found in
-the file doc/html/CompilingGuidelineWin.html. it is also available online
+the [documentation](./doc/html/CompilingGuidelineWin.html) in the repository and
-at https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/CompilingGuidelineWin.html
+it is also available [online](https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/CompilingGuidelineWin.html).
 
 IMPORTANT:
 
 The 64-bit editions of Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, and in
-some cases (e.g. playback of HD DVD content) also the 32-bit editions, do not
+some cases (e.g. playback of HD DVD content) also the 32-bit editions do not
 allow the VeraCrypt driver to run without an appropriate digital signature.
 Therefore, all .sys files in official VeraCrypt binary packages are digitally
 signed with the digital certificate of the IDRIX, which was issued by
@@ -53,47 +44,44 @@ GlobalSign certification authority. At the end of each official .exe and
 (i.e. all certificates in the relevant certification chain, such as the
 certification authority certificates, CA-MS cross-certificate, and the
 IDRIX certificate).
+
 Keep this in mind if you compile VeraCrypt and compare your binaries with the
 official binaries. If your binaries are unsigned, the sizes of the official
-binaries will usually be approximately 10 KiB greater than sizes of your 
+binaries will usually be approximately 10 KiB greater than the sizes of your
 binaries (there may be further differences if you use a different version of
 the compiler, or if you install a different or no service pack for Visual
 Studio, or different hotfixes for it, or if you use different versions of
 the required SDKs).
 
-Instructions for Signing and Packaging VeraCrypt for Windows:
+## Instructions for Signing and Packaging VeraCrypt for Windows:
--------------------------------------------------------------
 
 First, create an environment variable 'WSDK81' pointing to the Windows SDK
 for Windows 8.1 installation directory.
+
 The folder "Signing" contains a batch file (sign.bat) that will sign all
 VeraCrypt components using a code signing certificate present on the
-certificate store and also build the final installation setup and MSI package.
+certificate store and build the final installation setup and MSI package.
-The batch file suppose that the code signing certificate is issued by
+The batch file assumes that the code signing certificate is issued by
 GlobalSign. This is the case for IDRIX's certificate. If yours is issued by
 another CA, then you should put its intermediate certificates in the "Signing"
 folder and modify sign.bat accordingly.
 
-In order to generate MSI packages, WiX Toolset v3.11 must be installed.
+To generate MSI packages, WiX Toolset v3.11 must be installed.
 
-VeraCrypt EFI Boot Loader:
+## VeraCrypt EFI Boot Loader:
---------------------------
 
 VeraCrypt source code contains pre-built EFI binaries under src\Boot\EFI.
 The source code of VeraCrypt EFI Boot Loader is licensed under LGPL and
 it is available at https://github.com/veracrypt/VeraCrypt-DCS.
 For build instructions, please refer to the file src\Boot\EFI\Readme.txt.
 
-
+# II. Linux and Mac OS X
-II. Linux and Mac OS X
-======================
 
 A detailed guide on how to build VeraCrypt on Linux can be found in
-the file doc/html/CompilingGuidelineLinux.html. it is also available online
+the [documentation](./doc/html/CompilingGuidelineLinux.html) in the repository and
-at https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/CompilingGuidelineLinux.html
+it is also available [online](https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/CompilingGuidelineLinux.html).
 
-Requirements for Building VeraCrypt for Linux and Mac OS X:
+## Requirements for Building VeraCrypt for Linux and Mac OS X:
------------------------------------------------------------
 
 - GNU Make
 - GNU C++ Compiler 4.0 or compatible
@@ -106,31 +94,29 @@ Requirements for Building VeraCrypt for Linux and Mac OS X:
   and https://osxfuse.github.io/)
 - PCSC-lite library and header files (available at https://github.com/LudovicRousseau/PCSC)
 
+## Instructions for Building VeraCrypt for Linux and Mac OS X:
 
-Instructions for Building VeraCrypt for Linux and Mac OS X:
+1. Change the current directory to the root of the VeraCrypt source code.
------------------------------------------------------------
 
-1) Change the current directory to the root of the VeraCrypt source code.
+2. If you have no wxWidgets shared library installed, run the following
-
-2) If you have no wxWidgets shared library installed, run the following
    command to configure the wxWidgets static library for VeraCrypt and to
    build it:
 
-       $ make WXSTATIC=1 WX_ROOT=/usr/src/wxWidgets wxbuild
+   `$ make WXSTATIC=1 WX_ROOT=/usr/src/wxWidgets wxbuild`
 
-   The variable WX_ROOT must point to the location of the source code of the
+   The variable `WX_ROOT` must point to the location of the source code of the
    wxWidgets library. Output files will be placed in the './wxrelease/'
    directory.
 
-3) To build VeraCrypt, run the following command:
+3. To build VeraCrypt, run the following command:
 
-       $ make
+   `$ make`
 
    or if you have no wxWidgets shared library installed:
 
-       $ make WXSTATIC=1
+   `$ make WXSTATIC=1`
 
-4) If successful, the VeraCrypt executable should be located in the directory
+4. If successful, the VeraCrypt executable should be located in the directory
    'Main'.
 
 By default, a universal executable supporting both graphical and text user
@@ -138,32 +124,32 @@ interface (through the switch --text) is built.
 On Linux, a console-only executable, which requires no GUI library, can be
 built using the 'NOGUI' parameter:
 
-    $ make NOGUI=1 WXSTATIC=1 WX_ROOT=/usr/src/wxWidgets wxbuild
+`$ make NOGUI=1 WXSTATIC=1 WX_ROOT=/usr/src/wxWidgets wxbuild`
-    $ make NOGUI=1 WXSTATIC=1
+
+`$ make NOGUI=1 WXSTATIC=1`
 
 On MacOSX, building a console-only executable is not supported.
 
-Mac OS X specifics:
+## Mac OS X specifics:
------------------------------------------------------------
 
-Under MacOSX, the lastest installed SDK is used by default. To use a different version
+Under MacOSX, the latest installed SDK is used by default. To use a different version
 of the SDK when building using make, you can export the environment variable VC_OSX_SDK:
 
-	$ export VC_OSX_SDK=13.0
+`$ export VC_OSX_SDK=13.0`
 
 For development dependencies management, you can use [homebrew](https://brew.sh).
 
-	$ brew install pkg-config yasm wxwidgets
+`$ brew install pkg-config yasm wxwidgets`
 
 You also need system dependencies
 
-	$ brew install --cask macfuse packages
+`$ brew install --cask macfuse packages`
 
-After installating dependencies via brew, you can build a local development build
+After installing dependencies via brew, you can build a local development build
 
-	$ ./src/Build/build_veracrypt_macosx.sh -b
+`$ ./src/Build/build_veracrypt_macosx.sh -b`
 
-If you want to build the package, you also need to pass `-p` to the build script above. The built
+If you want to build the package, you must pass `-p` to the build script above. The built
 executable will be in `.src/Main`
 
 If you prefer to build from sources, or without homebrew, pkg-config and packages must be installed.
@@ -171,14 +157,16 @@ If you prefer to build from sources, or without homebrew, pkg-config and package
 Get pkg-config from https://pkgconfig.freedesktop.org/releases/pkg-config-0.29.2.tar.gz and
 compile using the following commands:
 
-	$ CFLAGS="-Wno-int-conversion" CXXFLAGS="-Wno-int-conversion" ./configure --with-internal-glib
+`$ CFLAGS="-Wno-int-conversion" CXXFLAGS="-Wno-int-conversion" ./configure --with-internal-glib`
-	$ make
+
-	$ sudo make install
+`$ make`
+
+`$ sudo make install`
 
 After making sure pkg-config is available, download and install OSXFuse from
 https://osxfuse.github.io/
 
-The script build_veracrypt_macosx.sh available under "src/Build" performs the
+The [build_veracrypt_macosx.sh](./src/Build/build_veracrypt_macosx.sh) script performs the
 full build of VeraCrypt including the creation of the installer pkg. It expects
 to find the wxWidgets 3.2.5 sources at the same level as where you put
 VeraCrypt sources (i.e. if "src" path is "/Users/joe/Projects/VeraCrypt/src"
@@ -187,45 +175,36 @@ then wxWidgets should be at "/Users/joe/Projects/wxWidgets-3.2.5")
 The make build process uses Code Signing certificates whose ID is specified in
 src/Main/Main.make (look for lines containing "Developer ID Application" and
 "Developer ID Installer"). You'll have to modify these lines to put the ID of
-your Code Signing certificates or comment them if you don't have one.
+your Code Signing certificates or comment them out if you don't have one.
 
 Because of incompatibility issues with OSXFUSE, the SDK 10.9 generates a
 VeraCrypt binary that has issues communicating with the OSXFUSE kernel extension.
 Thus, we recommend using a different OSX SDK version for building VeraCrypt.
 
-To build the installation package, you will need [packages](http://s.sudre.free.fr/Software/Packages/about.html)
+The Packages installer that is used for the VeraCrypt official build has been notarized by IDRIX and it is available at
-The Packages installer that is used for VeraCrypt official build has been notarized by IDRIX and it is available at
 https://github.com/idrassi/packages/releases
 
-III. FreeBSD
+# III. FreeBSD
-============================
 
 FreeBSD is supported starting from version 11.
 The build requirements and instructions are the same as Linux except that gmake
 should be used instead of make.
 
-
+# IV. Third-Party Developers (Contributors)
-
-IV. Third-Party Developers (Contributors)
-=========================================
 
 If you intend to implement a feature, please contact us first to make sure:
 
-1) That the feature has not been implemented (we may have already implemented
+1. That the feature has not been implemented (we may have already implemented
    it, but haven't released the code yet).
-2) That the feature is acceptable.
+2. That the feature is acceptable.
-3) Whether we need help of third-party developers with implementing the feature.
+3. Whether we need the help of third-party developers with implementing the feature.
 
 Information on how to contact us can be found at:
 https://www.veracrypt.fr/
 
+# V. Legal Information
 
-
+## Copyright Information
-V. Legal Information
-====================
-
-Copyright Information
----------------------
 
 This software as a whole:
 Copyright (c) 2013-2024 IDRIX. All rights reserved.
@@ -246,15 +225,11 @@ Copyright (c) 1999-2023 Igor Pavlov
 For more information, please see the legal notices attached to parts of the
 source code.
 
-Trademark Information
+## Trademark Information
----------------------
 
 Any trademarks contained in the source code, binaries, and/or in the
 documentation, are the sole property of their respective owners.
 
-
+# VI. Further Information
-
-VI. Further Information
-=======================
 
 https://www.veracrypt.fr