Internet Guide: Archie 
 
What is Archie?  Archie is a program that maintains a catalog of the world’s anonymous FTP sites.  
These FTP sites are public-access computers containing public-domain software, shareware, 
demonstration software, documentation files, and Listserv and Usenet archives.  Currently Archie keeps 
track of well over two million different computer files.   
 
Why would I use Archie?  Archie helps you find out which FTP sites hold the files you need.  You can use 
Archie to search by keyword for a file name.  Archie matches the string of letters you type in against its 
catalog.  It responds with a list of matching filenames, along with FTP addresses where you can get the 
files.  (Note that Archie only locates the files, it doesn’t retrieve them for you.  See our handout on using 
FTP to get files, or call the Vanderbilt University Computer Center  at 343-1631.)  
 
How can I access Archie?   
You can use Archie on the CTRVAX.  You must be logged on to your VAX account.  At the $ prompt, 
type: archie  followed by the keyword you want to search for.  Example:   $ archie cardinal 
 
How does Archie work?  There are Archie hosts on several large computers around the country.  Each 
month the Archie host program contacts all known anonymous FTP sites.  It compiles a complete 
directory listing of the files held by the various FTP sites and adds this information to its central database.   
 
Vanderbilt’s CTRVAX is not an Archie host, but it does hold a program called an Archie client.  The 
Archie client, at your request, searches the catalog of an Archie host computer.  The Computer Center has 
set the default for our Archie client to search the Archie host at archie.sura.net.  
 
When you ask the Archie client to search its database for a file, it returns information that includes the 
domain name of the FTP host, the directory in which the file is located, the size of the file in bytes, and 
the date on which the file was placed on that FTP host. 
Archie Commands 
 
When using Archie on the CTRVAX, the default search type is exact, meaning that Archie looks for an 
exact match of the string you type in.  Your other choice is a substring search, which means Archie finds 
file names containing the string of letters you type in whether they form a single word or are part of a 
longer word. 
 
You can change the search default and set other Archie commands with single-letter codes called 
switches.  You add them on to your search to tell Archie how to search and how to show you the results of 
your search. 
 
Switches 
-e  : exact string match (default) 
-c  : case sensitive substring search (will match capital and small 
      letters exactly) 
-s  : case insensitive substring search (ignores capitalization) 
-l  : list one match per line 
-t  : sort in reverse date order 
-m# : specifies maximum number of hits to return. You fill in the 
      number in place of the # symbol. 
-L  : list known servers and current default (Vanderbilt’s default is 
      archie.sura.net) 
-N# : specifies query niceness level (see explanation below) 
-h host  :specifies an Archie server to search.  The default for the 
          CTRVAX is archie.sura.net.  If you wish to search another 
          server, fill in the host name after the h. (Note: There is not 
          that much difference between servers.  The default server is 
          usually adequate for the average user.) 
-o filename : specifies a file to store the results in.  The file will 
              be created in your directory on the CTRVAX.  You fill in a 
              name in place of filename. 
 
 
For example, the search:       archie -s -m10 -N500 rabbit  
can be interpreted as: tell the Archie program that I want to do a search and set the search to substring 
(ignore case), I want only a maximum of ten matches returned to me.  I am not in a hurry so I am setting 
the niceness level at 500, and the word(s) I want to search for is rabbit.   
The search results you get back will look like this: 
 
Host knot.queensu.ca 
     Location:  /wuarchive/multimedia/images/gif/j 
          FILE: -re-re-r--     9600   Jan 11 1991   jessica_rabbit 
     Location:  /wuarchive/multimedia/images/gif/r 
          FILE: -rw-rw-r--     46149  Feb 10 1989   rabbit-n-vixen 
          FILE: -rw-rw-r--     54784  Nov 1 1989    rogerrabbit 
Host sparc01.cc.ncsu.edu 
     Location:  /mirrors/wustle/graphics/gif/j 
          FILE:  -rw-rw-r--    9600   Jan 11 1991   jessica_rabbit 
     Location:  /mirrors/wustl/graphics/gif/r 
          FILE: -rw-rw-r--     46149   Feb 10 1989  rabbit-n-vixen 
 
 
Notice that more than one computer may hold the same files. 
 
 
Niceness indicates the priority level of your Archie search.  Any Archie search requires computer 
processing time, which means other jobs must wait.  Searches with high niceness levels will be done after 
searches with low niceness levels.  If your search is not urgent, use a high niceness level.  Emergency=0, 
Nice=500, Nicer=1000, Very Nice=5000, Extremely Nice=10000. 
 
 
For more information on searching Archie, get the  Computer Center’s handout Accessing Archie on 
CTRVAX, or call the Computer Center Help Desk at 343-1631.  To get an overview of Archie commands 
on the CTRVAX, at the $ prompt, type archie  and press <return>. 
 
 
This guide was adapted from a handout produced at the University of Texas at Austin General Libraries 
 
 
 
Prepared by Connie Donley, Education Library, Vanderbilt Univ. 
January 1994