|Archie
|
|Mark H. Solsman
|Documentation Training and Publications, Center for Academic Computing
|mhs108@psu.edu 9/14/93
I
 
 
What is ARCHIE?
 
ARCHIE is a program that serves as a database of
information on the contents of Internet-based file
servers accessible through anonymous FTP.
 
Developed by the School of Computer Science at
McGill University, ARCHIE can perform the
following functions:
 
(1) Locate files/programs in archives.
 
(2) Provide a short description of programs in
archives.
 
(3) Send you a report (via electronic mail) of the
results of your archive searches.
 
 
Why ARCHIE?
 
One of the major problems with the use of
anonymous FTP on the Internet is knowing where to
find items of interest.  ARCHIE provides a single
clearinghouse for this information.
 
 
How to use ARCHIE
 
Archie may be accessed by using TELNET to connect
to any active ARCHIE server.  The following PSUVM
command will accomplish this:
 
telnet archie.rutgers.edu
 
You will get a login request from the ARCHIE
server.  To use ARCHIE you should login with the
userid archie.
 
You are now ready to issue ARCHIE commands.  One
of the most useful is the HELP command.  This
command provides you with information on all of
the available ARCHIE commands and gives you some
tips on their use.
 
Following are some useful ARCHIE commands and
examples of their use:
 
prog <expression>
 
The prog command searches the ARCHIE database for
files and directories meeting the criteria
contained in <expression>.  This criteria is a
text string which is matched against the name of
the file or directory in the anonymous FTP
directory.  For example, you can search the ARCHIE
database for programs or directories with the
string "astronomy" in their names with the ARCHIE
command:
 
prog astronomy
 
If you do this ARCHIE will show you its progress
as it searches through its online database.
 
When ARCHIE is finished it will display for you
the results of its search.  The results will
consist of the name of the host computer, the name
of the subdirectory containing the file or
directory, and the name of the file or directory
itself.
 
ARCHIE will also display the date of last update
for the host computer.  This is the date when
ARCHIE last updated its database from that
particular host computer.
 
 
set <variable> <value>
 
The set command allows you to set the value of
certain variables used by ARCHIE.  For example,
the search variable specifies how ARCHIE is to
match the <expression> of the prog command with
file and directory names it finds.
 
 
mail
 
The mail command is very useful for getting a
computer file containing the results of your last
ARCHIE search.  It instructs ARCHIE to send you,
via electronic mail, a file containing the results
of the last prog command you issued in this
session.
 
For example, if your userid is ABC101, and you
have just issued the command "prog virus", you can
have these results sent to you vie electronic mail
with the following command:
 
mail ABC101@psuvm.bitnet
 
 
quit
 
This is the command you issue when you want to
exit from ARCHIE.  It logs you out of ARCHIE and
terminates your TELNET session.
 
Getting assistance with ARCHIE
 
The CAC Help Desk provides limited assistance to
Penn State faculty/staff/students accessing ARCHIE
from PSUVM or other CAC computers.
 
CAC Help Desk 12 Willard Building (814) 863-1035
email: HELPDESK
 
Assistance is limited to methods of accessing
ARCHIE and the more basic ARCHIE commands.  Help
Desk staff will probably not be able to help with
the more in- depth commands or with locating files
through criteria that go beyond the ARCHIE search
capability.
 
 
Other Internet Info?
 
An excellent document titled _Zen and the Art of
the Internet_ is available to serve as an
introduction to anonymous FTP and other aspects of
the Internet.  This document is available via two
routes.
 
(1) It may be purchased at Gnomon Copy, Kinko's or
the Penn State Bookstore on University Park Campus
 
(2) It is available in Postscript form from the
PSUVM file server PCLIB.  It may be downloaded
from PCLIB and copied to any Postscript printer
for printing.  It is located in PCLIB under the
"PCINFO" library and the "Hints and Miscellaneous
Text" subdirectory.