NAME

       dictdconfig - write dictd database configuration section

SYNOPSIS

       dictdconfig [-hlovw] [--help] [--list] [--order] [--version] [--write]

DESCRIPTION

       dictdconfig  generates  a  complete  dictd  database  configuration  section for available
       dictionary databases found in /usr/share/dictd/ (or  possibly  elsewhere  if  an  optional
       order  override  file  is present).  If a dictionary database contains a <basename>.suffix
       and/or a  <basename>.word  file,  appropriate  index_suffix  and  index_word  entries  are
       created.

       Its  output  file /var/lib/dictd/db.list may then be included from the dictd configuration
       file /etc/dictd/dictd.conf with an ``include /var/lib/dictd/db.list'' line.  See  dictd(8)
       for an explanation of dictd configuration.

       In Debian, dictdconfig is automatically invoked upon installation or removal of dictionary
       database packages, so most users will never need to invoke it by hand.

   DATABASE ORDER
       The default order in which database entries are written is hard  coded  into  dictdconfig,
       but  it  may  be  overridden  via the optional order override file /etc/dictd/dictd.order.
       This may be desired because dictd returns definitions from  dictionary  databases  in  the
       order  in  which  they  are listed in its configuration file.  The order override file may
       also be used to include local dictionary databases which may  not  necessarily  reside  in
       /usr/share/dictd/.

       /etc/dictd/dictd.order, if present, should be a whitespace separated list of basenames and
       directories.  It may also include comments starting with # and extending to the end of the
       line.   Virtual  dictionaries and the directive database_exit may be included in the order
       override file.  (If virtual dictionaries are used, it is necessary to use  this  directive
       after  the  default  set  of  dictionaries  to  avoid  returning  duplicate  entries.  See
       dictd(8).)

       Dictionary database entries will be generated only for those databases found via  basename
       and  directory  entries in the default order (or the order override file, if present), and
       they will be generated in the order in which these  entries  appear.   No  more  than  one
       dictionary database entry of any given name will be generated.

       Entries without a leading / are relative to /usr/share/dictd/.

       Entries  without  a trailing / are basenames.  A dictionary database entry is generated if
       <basename>.index and <basename>.dict.dz or <basename>.dict are present.

       Entries with a trailing / are directories.  A dictionary database entry is  generated  for
       each    <name>    where   <directory>/<name>.index   and   <directory>/<name>.dict.dz   or
       <directory>/<name>.dict are present.

       The default order includes the directory /usr/share/dictd/ as its final entry so that if a
       previously unknown dictionary database (one not explicitly mentioned in the default order)
       is installed, its dictionary database entry will still be generated.   An  order  override
       file  should  also  use  this  technique,  both  for  /usr/share/dictd/  and for any other
       directory where local dictionary database might be installed.

       The -o option may be used to make dictdconfig display the default order information  along
       with the order override information if /etc/dictd/dictd.order is present.

   DUMMY ENTRY
       If  no  dictionary  databases  are found (via basename or directory entries in the default
       order or the order override file), a dummy dictionary database  entry  will  be  generated
       with /dev/null for both data and index.  This allows dictd to start without error.

   DATABASE ALIASES
       If an executable script named /etc/dictd/dictdconfig.alias exists, dictdconfig will filter
       database names through it.  The script can be bash, sed, perl, or whatever.  Although dict
       -D  will  display  database  names  of  any  length,  names  longer than 16 characters are
       displayed in a ragged format.  Appropriate entries in this alias file can be used to cause
       dict -D to display the database names in a reasonable format.

OPTIONS

       -w, --write
              Write database section to /var/lib/dictd/db.list.

       -l, --list
              List database section to standard out.

       -o, --order
              Display database order information.

       -h, --help
              Display a usage message and exit.

       -v, --version
              Display version information and exit.

FILES

       /var/lib/dictd/db.list
              Output of dictdconfig.

       /etc/dictd/dictd.config
              dictd configuration file which "includes" /var/lib/dictd/db.list.

       /etc/dictd/dictd.order
              Optional dictdconfig order override file.

SEE ALSO

       dictd(8)

BUGS

       Older   dictionary  database  packages  did  not  automatically  invoke  dictdconfig  upon
       installation and removal, so you may need to do  so  manually  (after  which,  you  should
       restart dictd).

AUTHOR

       Kirk Hilliard <kirk@debian.org>.