NAME

       starpkg - convert a StarPlot data set to StarPlot file format

SYNOPSIS

       starpkg [ --dataset ] data-set [ --dest destination ]
       starpkg --recurse input-dir [ --dest destination ]

DESCRIPTION

       On the StarPlot web site are available some packages of data that include both an original data file from
       NASA,  and  also  a   specification  file.   These  packages  are  referred to as "data sets", from which
       starconvert(1) can produce a data file in StarPlot format.  For ease of use, this should be done via  the
       starpkg shell script.

USAGE

       Assuming  that  data-set  is  a valid StarPlot data set (either in tar.gz format or a directory resulting
       from uncompressing the tar.gz file), the `starpkg --dataset' command converts it to a  StarPlot-formatted
       data  file.   Note  that  the  `--dataset'  flag  is  optional, and the name of the input data set may be
       specified without it.  In order to be a valid StarPlot data set, a directory or tar.gz file must  contain
       at  least  a  valid  specification  file  whose  name  ends  with `.spec' and a flat text data file named
       `catalog.dat'.

       If the `--dest' option is omitted, the  default  location  of  the  output  file  is  the  first  of  the
       directories  /usr/share/starplot,  $PWD,  $HOME  in which the user has write permissions.  If `--dest' is
       omitted  or  destination  is  a  directory,  the  name  of  the  output   file   will   by   default   be
       ${specfilename%.spec}.stars.  For instance, a data set containing gliese.3.spec will produce a file named
       gliese.3.stars.

       The  `starpkg  --recurse'  form  of  the  command  executes  the above action for every StarPlot data set
       contained in input-dir, placing the resulting StarPlot data files to the directory destination.  (If  the
       --dest  option  is  omitted,  the  default  destination  directory is chosen as above.)  This form of the
       starpkg command is most useful when a new version  of  StarPlot  has  been  installed  and  you  wish  to
       regenerate all StarPlot data files from data sets using the new starconvert program.

OPTIONS

       --dataset, -s
              Specify a directory or tar.gz file to use as a StarPlot data set.

       --dest, -d
              Specify the file or directory in which to output StarPlot-format data files.

       --quiet, -q
              Print only fatal errors to the terminal.

       --recurse, -r
              Specify a directory in which to search for StarPlot data sets.

       --starconvert-option option
              Pass  option  through to starconvert.  If you wish to pass more than one option (or an option that
              takes a following argument), you should give this flag multiple times, once for  each  starconvert
              option or argument.

       --verbose, -v
              Print all starconvert output to the terminal.

SEE ALSO

       starplot(1), starconvert(1)

AUTHOR

       Copyright  ©  2000-2002  under the GNU GPL by Kevin B. McCarty <starplot@starplot.org>.  The StarPlot web
       page is at www.starplot.org.

                                                    Nov 2002                                          starpkg(1)