24 Examine and modify a GDBM database

The gdbmtool utility allows you to view and modify an existing GDBM database or to create a new one.

When invoked without arguments, it tries to open a database file called junk.gdbm, located in the current working directory. You can change this default by supplying the name of the database as argument to the program, e.g.:

$ gdbmtool file.db

The database will be opened in read-write mode, unless the -r (--read-only) option is specified, in which case it will be opened only for reading.

If the database does not exist, gdbmtool will create it. There is a special option -n (--newdb), which instructs the utility to create a new database. If it is used and if the database already exists, it will be deleted, so use it sparingly.