dictd

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dictd is a server implementing the DICT protocol, allowing clients to search dictionaries.

Installation

USE flags

USE flags for app-text/dictd Dictionary Client/Server for the DICT protocol

`dbi`	Enable dev-db/libdbi (database-independent abstraction layer) support
`judy`	Build Judy-based (dev-libs/judy) plugin implementing fast "exact" and especially "lev" strategies
`minimal`	Don't build server but dict client, dictzip and dictfmt only.
`selinux`	!!internal use only!! Security Enhanced Linux support, this must be set by the selinux profile or breakage will occur
`test`	Enable dependencies and/or preparations necessary to run tests (usually controlled by FEATURES=test but can be toggled independently)

Data provided by the Gentoo Package Database · Last update: 2023-10-10 05:39 More information about USE flags

Emerge

Install app-text/dictd:

root #emerge --ask app-text/dictd

Dictionaries

At least one dictd dictionary package must be installed before starting the server. dictd dictionary packages can be found in the app-dicts category with the prefix dictd-. In particular, the WordNet dictionary is available as app-dicts/dictd-wn.

Other dictd dictionary packages are available on GURU. The app-dicts/dictd-meta package installs the following packages:

app-dicts/dictd-devils - The Devil's Dictionary
app-dicts/dictd-elements - Jay Kominek's database of the elements
app-dicts/dictd-foldoc - The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
app-dicts/dictd-gazetteer - The original U.S. Gazetteer Place and Zipcode Files
app-dicts/dictd-gcide - Collaborative International Dictionary of English (incl. Webster 1913)
app-dicts/dictd-jargon - The Jargon File
app-dicts/dictd-misc - Hitchcock's and Easton's Bible Dictionaries
app-dicts/dictd-vera - Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms
app-dicts/dictd-wn - WordNet

A thesaurus is also available on GURU: app-dicts/dictd-moby-thesaurus.

Configuration

Service

OpenRC

Add the service to the default runlevel:

root #rc-update add dictd default

Start the service:

root #rc-service dictd start

If additional dictionaries are added, be sure to restart the service:

root #rc-service dictd restart

Clients

The app-text/dictd package provides the dict client, but other clients include app-dicts/gnome-dictionary, xfce-extra/xfce4-dict, and dictionary.el in app-editors/emacs 28 and later.