Please read this to see if it answers your Rom startup questions.
Rom was developed on the linux version of unix. It will run on most other forms of unix as well, although it may require adjustment of the compile options. There are single-user versions available for other operating systems such as MacOS and DOS. However, Rom was intended to run on unix and we do not support any other operating systems.
A shell account allows you to log in to a machine. Originally, almost everyone on the Internet had a shell account. Now people almost always have graphical software running on PPP accounts instead. Many ISPs no longer provide shell access because of the security risks it can pose. You must have a shell account on your site to run Rom.
Your site is the machine that your mud operates on. You must have a shell account on that machine to run the mud. You must have permission from your site administrator to run a mud on their machine, or have your own machine to run the mud on. If you do not have permission, they may remove your mud, and possibly remove your account as well.
Just having a shell account does not entitle you to run a mud on that machine! A mud consumes system resources such as RAM and disk space. You may be expected to provide compensation for using those resources.
Details on how to compile Rom are given elsewhere. The process of compiling takes plain text files and converts them into codes that your machine can understand. Then it links them into a single executable file that can be run with the startup command.
Booting is the process by which the Rom software starts running. Reboot is a command issued to a running mud that initializes the game and reloads all the data files into ram.
You can join the Rom mailing list. You can also read the setup FAQ or the overall large FAQ by Garry Turkington.
If all these options fail, try mailing Russ Taylor/Alander. It is unlikely that he will answer; if he does, it will probably take him months. Emailing Gabrielle Taylor is just as unlikely to do any good; she has a form letter explaining how you should just join the Rom list.
gtaylor@hypercube.org