    # File utils.rb, line 243
            def readManifest( manifestFile="MANIFEST" )
                    message "Building manifest..."
                    raise "Missing #{manifestFile}, please remake it" unless File.exists? manifestFile

                    manifest = IO::readlines( manifestFile ).collect {|line|
                            line.chomp
                    }.select {|line|
                            line !~ /^(\s*(#.*)?)?$/
                    }

                    filelist = []
                    for pat in manifest
                            $stderr.puts "Adding files that match '#{pat}' to the file list" if $VERBOSE
                            filelist |= Dir.glob( pat ).find_all {|f| FileTest.file?(f)}
                    end

                    message "found #{filelist.length} files.\n"
                    return filelist
            end