dict client for Debian
======================


 --- CHARACTER ENCODINGS --------------------------------------------

     dict do not convert character encodings from utf-8 to the user's 
locale encoding.  If your system is not configured to display utf-8 
characters by default, you may use the script /usr/bin/dictl to convert 
the input to and output from utf-8 dictionaries to your preferred
character set.  Refer to the dictl(1) manual page.


 --- CONFIGURATION --------------------------------------------------

     The default configuration file is set up to have dict try to
access a dictd server on the local host, failing that, it will try a
public server at dict.org, on the Internet.  (You must be online to
access the public server; the dict client will not make a connection
automatically.)  In many cases this will be slow, especially when it
is trying to access a non-existent public server first, so you should
comment out the line for the server that you don't want to use. To use
any other server, enter its URL or IP address in place of "dict.org".

     By default, the `dict' client returns all definitions found in
all databases available to the server, in the order that the
dictionaries are listed in the server's configuration file.  Command 
line switches are available for the client to restrict the searches 
to certain dictionaries, to select among the several available search
strategies.  See the manual page, dict(1), for all command line options.



 --- PUBLIC DICTD SERVERS -------------------------------------------

     The DICT Group maintains a number of public servers, which are
accessed in round-robin fashion by the address dict.org, so delays due
to busy servers should be minimised.  

     The public servers do not require any userid, password, or other
authentication.  A private server, such as one on your own or a
nearby network may require authentication.  See the man page, dict(1),
or the sample configuration file, in /etc/usr/share/doc/dict/examples.