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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cuae2!ihnp4!pegasus!hansen
From: hansen@pegasus.UUCP
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: Is the history file really needed anymore?
Message-ID: <2924@pegasus.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Jan-87 18:10:05 EST
Article-I.D.: pegasus.2924
Posted: Fri Jan 16 18:10:05 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Jan-87 07:43:17 EST
References: <5504@ukma.ms.uky.csnet>
Reply-To: hansen@pegasus.UUCP (60021254-Tony L. Hansen;LZ 3B-315;6243)
Organization: AT&T-IS Labs, Lincroft, NJ
Lines: 18
Summary: no, it isn't needed anymore

If you compile 2.11 without DBM defined, it will use a subdirectory called
LIBDIR/history.d as well as the history file. The history file is split into
10 pieces (files named 0-9) based on the last character before the '@'
within the message ID.

I have sent off mods to seismo!rick for inclusion in a future patch such
that the history file isn't even kept around; everything works off of the
history.d directory. So the answer is No, the history file isn't needed
anymore, and the code's already been written to get rid of it. It saves 1500
blocks of file space too!

If anyone wants the patch to do this, send mail.

(By the way, there are message ID's which have a "/" within them. This
wrecks havoc on any scheme to use the message ID itself as a file name.)

					Tony Hansen
					ihnp4!pegasus!hansen