refdbc reads two different init files depending on the way it is run. For normal interactive or non-interactive operation, the file refdbcrc is evaluated. If refdbc runs as a CGI application, the file refdbcgirc is used instead. This allows you to configure refdbc differently even if you run it as a user client and as a CGI app on the same computer.
Table 13-1. refdbcrc
| Variable | Default | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| cgiurl | (none) | The URL of a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) file. This file, if specified, is used to customize the visual appearance of the HTML output of the getref command. |
| defaultdb | (none) | The default database. refdbc will try to use this database unless you select a different one with the selectdb command. |
| defaultris | (none) | The path of a RIS file with entries that should be added to all new or updated references. This is typically used to set some default value for the RP field or to specify additional keywords. |
| fields | (none) | A list of additional fields which should be displayed by default in the reference output. The list is a simple concatenation of the field names. Possible fields are N1, N2, AB, AD, RP, SN, PB, CY, UR, U1 through U5, M1 through M3. |
| pager | stdout | The command line of a pager that accepts the output of refdb on stdin to allow scrolling and other nifty things. "stdout" sends the data to stdout. |
| passwd | * | The password which is used for authentication with the database server. It is potentially evil to store unencrypted passwords in disk files. At least make sure that the configuration file is not readable for anyone else. The default setting causes refdbc to ask for your password interactively. |
| port | 9734 | The port on which refdbd listens. Change this for all clients and the server if this value interferes with another program using this port. |
| serverip | 127.0.0.1 | The IP address or hostname of the machine where refdbd runs. Use the default (localhost) address if the clients and refdbs run on the same machine. |
| timeout | 60 | The timeout in seconds. After this time has elapsed, a stalled connection is taken down. Increase this value if you encounter frequent timeout errors due to high network traffic or refdbd overload. |
| username | login name | The username which is used for authentication with the database server. This may be different from the login name of the user. |
| verbose | f | Set this to t if you prefer verbose error messages. |
| pdfroot | (none) | This value will be used as the root of the paths to PDF or Postscript offprints that can be specified with the AV field in a RIS dataset. The path should not rely on shell expansion, e.g. use /home/me/literature/ instead of ~/literature/. The pdfroot allows you to shorten the paths that you enter for each dataset and to maintain a certain portability if you have to move the offprints to a different directory or want to access them remotely. The html output routine will concatenate the relative path of each dataset with the pdfroot to construct the link to the offprint. Instead of a local path name you can specify an URL starting with http:// or ftp:// if your offprints are accessible through a web server or ftp server. |
Table 13-2. refdbcgirc
| Variable | Default | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| autokill | 1800 | The number of seconds after which the CGI program will exit in case it hangs, e.g. due to a network outage. While most queries should be answered within a few seconds, somebody might feel the urge to list a whole 5000-reference database, so we use a pretty high value by default. You can switch off the auto-kill feature by specifying a value of zero (autokilling should never occur except due to a refdb bug, but better be careful). |
| defaultdb | (none) | The default database. refdbc will try to use this database unless you select a different one on the web form. A default database should always be provided to make the system as foolproof as possible. |
| defaultris | (none) | The path of a RIS file with entries that should be added to all new or updated references. This is typically used to set some default value for the RP field or to specify additional keywords. |
| fields | (none) | A list of additional fields which should be displayed by default in the reference output. The list is a simple concatenation of the field names. Possible fields are N1, N2, AB, AD, RP, SN, UR, PB, CY, U1 through U5, M1 through M3. |
| passwd | (none) | The password which is used for authentication with the database server. It is potentially evil to store unencrypted passwords in disk files. At least make sure that the init file is not readable for anyone else. A password entry allows you together with a username entry to provide access to the database without authentication. passwd should not be set if you use authentication. |
| pdfroot | (none) | This value will be used as the root of the paths to PDF or Postscript offprints that can be specified with the AV field in a RIS dataset. The path should not rely on shell expansion, e.g. use /home/me/literature/ instead of ~/literature/. The pdfroot allows you to shorten the paths that you enter for each dataset and to maintain a certain portability if you have to move the offprints to a different directory or want to access them remotely. The html output routine will concatenate the relative path of each dataset with the pdfroot to construct the link to the offprint. Instead of a local path name you can specify an URL starting with http:// or ftp:// if your offprints are accessible through a web server or ftp server. |
| port | 9734 | The port on which refdbd listens. Change this for all clients and the server if this value interferes with another program using this port. |
| refdblib | (none) | The path of the directory containing shareable refdb files like DTDs, HTML templates etc. |
| serverip | 127.0.0.1 | The IP address or hostname of the machine where refdbd runs. Use the default (localhost) address if the clients and refdbs run on the same machine. |
| timeout | 60 | The timeout in seconds. After this time has elapsed, a stalled connection is taken down. Increase this value if you encounter frequent timeout errors due to high network traffic or refdbd overload. |
| username | login name | The username which is used for authentication with the database server. A username entry allows you together with a password entry to provide access to the database without authentication. username should not be set if you use authentication. |
| verbose | f | Set this to t if you prefer verbose error messages. |