NAME

       starpkg - convert a StarPlot data set to StarPlot file format

SYNOPSIS

       starpkg [ --dataset ] data-set [ --dest destination ]
       starpkg --recurse input-dir [ --dest destination ]

DESCRIPTION

       On the StarPlot web site are available some packages of data that include both an original
       data file from NASA, and also a  specification file.  These packages are  referred  to  as
       "data  sets",  from  which starconvert(1) can produce a data file in StarPlot format.  For
       ease of use, this should be done via the starpkg shell script.

USAGE

       Assuming that data-set is a valid  StarPlot  data  set  (either  in  tar.gz  format  or  a
       directory  resulting  from uncompressing the tar.gz file), the `starpkg --dataset' command
       converts it to a  StarPlot-formatted  data  file.   Note  that  the  `--dataset'  flag  is
       optional,  and the name of the input data set may be specified without it.  In order to be
       a valid StarPlot data set, a directory or tar.gz  file  must  contain  at  least  a  valid
       specification  file  whose  name  ends  with  `.spec'  and  a  flat  text  data file named
       `catalog.dat'.

       If the `--dest' option is omitted, the default location of the output file is the first of
       the  directories /usr/share/starplot, $PWD, $HOME in which the user has write permissions.
       If `--dest' is omitted or destination is a directory, the name of the output file will  by
       default be ${specfilename%.spec}.stars.  For instance, a data set containing gliese.3.spec
       will produce a file named gliese.3.stars.

       The `starpkg --recurse' form of the command executes the above action for  every  StarPlot
       data  set  contained  in  input-dir,  placing  the  resulting  StarPlot  data files to the
       directory destination.   (If  the  --dest  option  is  omitted,  the  default  destination
       directory is chosen as above.)  This form of the starpkg command is most useful when a new
       version of StarPlot has been installed and you wish to regenerate all StarPlot data  files
       from data sets using the new starconvert program.

OPTIONS

       --dataset, -s
              Specify a directory or tar.gz file to use as a StarPlot data set.

       --dest, -d
              Specify the file or directory in which to output StarPlot-format data files.

       --quiet, -q
              Print only fatal errors to the terminal.

       --recurse, -r
              Specify a directory in which to search for StarPlot data sets.

       --starconvert-option option
              Pass  option  through to starconvert.  If you wish to pass more than one option (or
              an option that takes a following argument), you  should  give  this  flag  multiple
              times, once for each starconvert option or argument.

       --verbose, -v
              Print all starconvert output to the terminal.

SEE ALSO

       starplot(1), starconvert(1)

AUTHOR

       Copyright  © 2000-2002 under the GNU GPL by Kevin B. McCarty <starplot@starplot.org>.  The
       StarPlot web page is at www.starplot.org.

                                             Nov 2002                                  starpkg(1)