Archie: the McGill School of Computer Science Archive Server Listing Service
_A_d_d_r_e_s_s: none
_E_m_a_i_l:
[email protected]
_P_h_o_n_e: none
_D_e_s_c_r_i_p_t_i_o_n
Archie is a central database for information about archive
sites. It speeds the task of finding a specific program on
the net. Archie keeps track of UNIX sites; VMS sites may be
added in the near future.
Archie is a pair of software tools: the first maintains a
list of several hundred Internet ftp archive sites, each of
which is updated about once a month. The second tool allows
outsiders to log onto the host to query the database.
Archie also maintains a Software Description Database of the
names and descriptions of various software packages, docu-
ments, and datasets that are kept on anonymous ftp archive
sites around the Internet. The whatis command allows you to
search this database.
_N_e_t_w_o_r_k _A_c_c_e_s_s
To access archie, telnet or rlogin to quiche.cs.mcgill.ca
(132.206.2.3) as user archie. The help command gives you
information about various topics, including the commands
available and how to use them. The "raw" listings of ftp
sites are stored in compressed form in the directory
ftp/archie/listings. Manual pages for archie are available
in the directory ftp/archie/doc. The file archie.man.roff
contains a UNIX-style manual entry in *roff format;
archie.man.txt contains the same information preformatted
for people on non-UNIX systems.
Users can ask archie to search for specific name strings.
For example, prog kcl would find all occurences of the
_________________________
The information in this section is provided in accor-
dance with the copyright notice appearing at the front
of this guide.
April 10, 1991 NNSC Section 3.25, Page 1
string "kcl" and tell you which hosts have entries with this
string, the size of the program, its last modification date,
where it can be found on the host, and some other useful
information. This example would find archive sites that are
storing Kyoto Common Lisp. Complete anonymous ftp listings
of sites in the database can be obtained via the site com-
mand; for a list of sites, see the list command.
There is an electronic mail interface to archie. To receive
the latest information on this interface, send mail to
[email protected] with the word help in the subject line
or body.
If you can't access the manual files via interactive ftp or
the mail-based servers, send a message to archie-
[email protected] asking to receive a copy of the manual by
mail.
_W_h_o _C_a_n _U_s_e _t_h_e _A_r_c_h_i_v_e
Archie is available to all Internet users.
_M_i_s_c_e_l_l_a_n_e_o_u_s _I_n_f_o_r_m_a_t_i_o_n
Send comments, bug reports, etc. to:
[email protected].
If you know of an anonymous ftp site that archie doesn't
seem to maintain, or if you have additions or corrections to
the Software Description Database, send mail to: archie-
[email protected].
"Satellite" archie servers are being set up in Finland and
the Netherlands in order to lessen the load on the tran-
satlantic Internet link.
The maintainers of archie strongly encourage maintainers of
anonymous ftp archives to do two things:
o+ Send additions and corrections to the Software Distri-
bution Database to
[email protected].
o+ Maintain compressed, automated, recursive listings
(ls-1R.Z files) on their machines. This lessens net-
work loads and makes life easier for archie. Send
queries for specific formats to archie-
[email protected].
April 10, 1991 NNSC Section 3.25, Page 2
