Xref: utzoo unix-pc.general:5108 comp.sys.att:9112 news.software.b:4449
Newsgroups: unix-pc.general,comp.sys.att,news.software.b
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: C news on a 3B1/7300 (or B news with mdbm)
Message-ID: <1990Mar27.165714.1195@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <22541@ditka.UUCP> <647@magnus.Hotline.Com> <22843@ditka.UUCP> <23021@ditka.UUCP> <195@zebra.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 90 16:57:14 GMT

In article <195@zebra.UUCP> vern@zebra.UUCP (Vernon C. Hoxie) writes:
>> >dbm/sdbm/dbz/ndbm/mdbm whatsoever.
>
>I have missed something in this discussion.  Can someone fill in the
>blanks for dbm/sdbm/dbz/ndbm?

The news software wants to maintain an index into the history file in
some fashion.  The original (well, more or less original) method was
to use the dbm library found in Version Seven Unix.  Unfortunately,
dbm was one of the things that got left out of System V, which has
created some demand for alternatives.  Probably the best of the various
alternatives is Jon Zeeff's dbz; an improved version is under test right
now for release in the next C News patch.

(ETA for that patch is a week or two, barring disasters.)
-- 
Apollo @ 8yrs: one small step.|     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
Space station @ 8yrs:        .| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu