DLB(6)

📦
version 5.0.0 · 3 versions
, in arch rolling

💾 DLB(6) — the NetHack data librarian, bestie edition 🎀

okay so real talk: this is dlb, and it lives in section 6 of the Games Manual. Think of it as NetHack's very own personal archivist — she keeps the vibes organized so the game can find its files. 🗂️✨

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

dlb {c|t|x}[v][C directory] [file] ...
dlb {c|t|x}[v]I list-file
dlb {c|t|x}[v][f archive-file-name] [file] ...

like… three whole moods, pick your fighter 💅

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

So dlb is a file archiving tool — and she's doing it in the spirit (and tradition) of tar(1), but for nethack(6) version 3.1 and up. iconic lineage honestly 👑

What's she for? Maintaining the archive files that the game reads its special level files and other read-only info out of. That's her whole job. She's the keeper of the read-only lore 📚

⚠️ heads up bestie: like tar, the letters that specify the operation and the options are all smushed together into one continuous string. No spaces, no chill.

But unlike tar, dlb comes pre-configured with a default set of file names to process. she's got a whole planned-out itinerary already, she doesn't need you to micromanage 🫶

🎀 Operations 🎀

  • c — creates a whole new archive out of the files in the current directory. fresh start, new era, main character energy 💖
  • t — lists the files chilling inside the archive. lowkey just a vibe check on what's in there 👀
  • x — extracts the contents of the archive right into the current directory. dump it all out, no cap 📤

🌈 OPTIONS 🌈

  • C dir — change directory to dir before even trying to read any files. set the scene first, periodt 🎬
  • f archive — read from or write to archive instead of LIBFILE (which is usually the nhdat file in the playground, iykyk).
  • I list-file — read the names of the files to emplace within or extract from the archive out of list-file. The default for archive creation is LIBLISTFILE. she's got a list, she's checking it twice 🧾
  • v — operate verbosely. she will tell you everything she's doing and honestly? good for her 🗣️💬

🦋 EXAMPLES 🦋

Create the default archive from the default file list — chef's kiss, no options needed:

dlb c

List the contents of the archive foo:

dlb tf foo

see how the letters just glide together? ate. 🔥

💜 AUTHOR 💜

Kenneth Lorber — the icon, the legend 👑 (and yes, the copyright line below credits him too, we stan a consistent king)

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

go read those too, bestie, cross-referencing is self care 🫶

💀 BUGS 💀

  • Not a good tar emulation — and specifically, - does not mean stdin or stdout. sorry babe, that shortcut does not exist here 🙈
  • Should include an optional compression facility. like… the potential is there, it's just not implemented 😭
  • Not all read-only files for NetHack can actually be read out of an archive. The only way to know which files can be is examining the source. yeah. that's the whole vibe check, go read the source 🧚

This file is Copyright (C) Kenneth Lorber, 2024 for version keni-gitset:1.13. NetHack may be freely redistributed. See license for details.

okay that's the whole page!! 💖 this lovely little doc came to you from the NETHACK crew and was dated 25 December 2024, hanging out happily under the name DLB(6). go forth and archive responsibly, bestie 🌸✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from