---
name: "mkhistory"
section: "8cn"
platform: "linux"
package: "cnews"
version: "cr.g7-40.4"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mkhistory"
---

# mkhistory(8cn)

rebuild news history file

## NAME

mkhistory - rebuild news history file

## SYNOPSIS

**/usr/lib/news/maint/mkhistory** \[ **-s** sizemultiplier \]

## DESCRIPTION

*Mkhistory* rebuilds the *history* file and its auxiliaries to match the articles in */var/spool/news*. Normally *mkhistory* uses a reasonable default size for the *dbz*(3Z) index database; if the **-s** option is given, the expected number of entries in the history database is taken to be the number of articles found in */var/spool/news* times *sizemultiplier*.

*Mkhistory* is fairly slow and locks the whole news system for the duration of the run, so it should not be run casually.

## FILES

```
/var/lib/news/history	history file
/var/lib/news/history.pag	dbm database for history file
/var/lib/news/history.dir	dbm database for history file
/var/lib/news/history.n*	new history file and dbm files abuilding
/usr/lib/news/maint/*	various auxiliaries
```

## SEE ALSO

dbm(3Z), expire(8CN)

## HISTORY

Written at U of Toronto by Henry Spencer.

## BUGS

*Mkhistory* is inherently incapable of reconstructing history-file lines corresponding to expired articles. Protection against old articles reappearing is thus somewhat limited for a while after the history file is rebuilt.