diff -Nur -X/home/thue/freeciv-dev/freeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/configure.in workdir/configure.in
--- freeciv/configure.in	Thu Jun  1 14:47:37 2000
+++ workdir/configure.in	Thu Jun  1 14:48:22 2000
@@ -93,6 +93,16 @@
 WITH_XAW3D=1
 )
 
+dnl  shall we compile readline into the server?
+AC_ARG_WITH(readline,
+[  --enable-readline        support fancy command line editing],
+[case "${enableval}" in
+  yes) readline=true ;;
+  no)  readline=false ;;
+  *)   AC_MSG_ERROR(bad value ${enableval} for --enable-readline) ;;
+esac], [readline=true])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(READLINE, test x$readline = xtrue)
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(make_data,
 [  --disable-make-data     do not recurse make into data directories
                           (ok to disable unless you will 'make install')],
@@ -358,6 +368,19 @@
     AC_CHECK_FUNC(connect)
     if test $ac_cv_func_connect = no; then
         AC_CHECK_LIB(socket, connect, SERVER_LIBS="-lsocket $SERVER_LIBS")
+    fi
+    if test x$readline = xtrue; then
+        AC_CHECK_LIB(readline, rl_callback_handler_install,,
+		readline=false
+		AC_MSG_WARN(could not find the required readline library, configuring without readline.))
+	AC_CHECK_HEADERS(readline/readline.h readline/history.h,,
+		readline=false
+		AC_MSG_WARN(could not find the required readline headers, configuring without readline.))
+
+	if test x$readline = xtrue; then
+	   CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DREADLINE"
+	   CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -DREADLINE"
+	fi
     fi
 fi
 AC_SUBST(SERVER_LIBS)
diff -Nur -X/home/thue/freeciv-dev/freeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/server/civserver.c workdir/server/civserver.c
--- freeciv/server/civserver.c	Thu Jun  1 14:48:09 2000
+++ workdir/server/civserver.c	Thu Jun  1 14:48:22 2000
@@ -331,6 +331,10 @@
   if (script_filename)
     read_init_script(script_filename);
 
+#ifdef READLINE
+  install_readline();
+#endif
+
   while(server_state==PRE_GAME_STATE)
     sniff_packets();
 
diff -Nur -X/home/thue/freeciv-dev/freeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/server/console.c workdir/server/console.c
--- freeciv/server/console.c	Thu Jun  1 14:48:09 2000
+++ workdir/server/console.c	Thu Jun  1 15:30:18 2000
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#ifdef READLINE
+#include "readline/readline.h"
+extern int inside_readline;
+#endif
+
 #include "fcintl.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "support.h"
@@ -51,7 +56,14 @@
   if (console_prompt_is_showing || !console_show_prompt)
     return;
     
+#ifdef READLINE
+  if (inside_readline)
+    inside_readline = 0;
+  else
+    rl_forced_update_display();
+#else
   con_dump(C_READY,"> ");
+#endif
   con_flush();
   console_prompt_is_showing = 1;
 }
@@ -173,14 +185,24 @@
 }
 
 /************************************************************************
+...
+************************************************************************/
+void start_comment(void)
+{
+  con_puts(C_COMMENT, "");
+  con_puts(C_COMMENT, "For introductory help, type 'help'.");
+}
+
+/************************************************************************
 Make sure a prompt is printed, and re-printed after every message.
 ************************************************************************/
 void con_prompt_on(void)
 {
   static int first = 1;
   if (first) {
-    con_puts(C_COMMENT, "");
-    con_puts(C_COMMENT, _("For introductory help, type 'help'."));
+#ifndef READLINE
+    start_comment();
+#endif
     first = 0;
   }
   console_show_prompt=1;
diff -Nur -X/home/thue/freeciv-dev/freeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/server/console.h workdir/server/console.h
--- freeciv/server/console.h	Thu Jun  1 14:48:09 2000
+++ workdir/server/console.h	Thu Jun  1 15:30:45 2000
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@
 /* ensure timely update */
 void con_flush(void);
 
+void start_comment(void);
+
 /* make sure a prompt is printed, and re-printed after every message */
 void con_prompt_on(void);
 
diff -Nur -X/home/thue/freeciv-dev/freeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/server/sernet.c workdir/server/sernet.c
--- freeciv/server/sernet.c	Thu Jun  1 14:48:10 2000
+++ workdir/server/sernet.c	Thu Jun  1 18:24:47 2000
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_ARPA_INET_H
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 #endif
+#ifdef READLINE
+#include "readline/readline.h"
+#include "readline/history.h"
+int inside_readline = 1;
+#endif
 
 #include "log.h"
 #include "packets.h"
@@ -87,7 +92,6 @@
 #endif
 extern int force_end_of_sniff;
 
-
 /*****************************************************************************/
 void close_connection(struct connection *pconn)
 {
@@ -109,6 +113,22 @@
   close(sock);
 }
 
+#ifdef READLINE
+void handle_readline_input(char *line)
+{
+  con_prompt_enter();	/* why not. just to be consistent */
+  if (*line) /* != '\0' */
+    add_history (line);
+  handle_stdin_input((struct player *)NULL, line);
+}
+
+void install_readline(void)
+{
+  start_comment();
+  rl_callback_handler_install("> ", handle_readline_input);
+}
+#endif
+
 /*****************************************************************************
 Get and handle:
 - new connections,
@@ -184,6 +204,10 @@
     }
 #ifndef SOCKET_ZERO_ISNT_STDIN
     else if(FD_ISSET(0, &readfs)) {    /* input from server operator */
+#ifdef READLINE
+      inside_readline = 1;
+      rl_callback_read_char();
+#else
       int didget;
       char buf[BUF_SIZE+1];
       
@@ -194,6 +218,7 @@
       *(buf+didget)='\0';
       con_prompt_enter();	/* will need a new prompt, regardless */
       handle_stdin_input((struct player *)NULL, buf);
+#endif
     }
 #else
     else if(!feof(stdin)) {    /* input from server operator */
diff -Nur -X/home/thue/freeciv-dev/freeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/server/sernet.h workdir/server/sernet.h
--- freeciv/server/sernet.h	Thu Jun  1 14:48:10 2000
+++ workdir/server/sernet.h	Thu Jun  1 15:30:31 2000
@@ -26,4 +26,8 @@
 void init_connections(void);
 void close_connection(struct connection *pconn);
 
+#ifdef READLINE
+void install_readline(void);
+#endif
+
 #endif  /* FC__SERNET_H */