gzip and .xxx.nodups files

[Bartel, Naomi R (N-Iroquoi Sys)]

Please Help!

I am using gzip 1.2.4 on an SGI and gzip 1.3 on LINUX.

I copy someone else's zipped file to $TMPDIR/tempfilename and use 'gzip -d
-f  tempfilename' to unzip it.  I use it and when I am done I delete the
file named 'tempfilename'.  I recently realized that not only is a temporary
file created, but also another file called .tempfilename.nodups is also
generated.

What is the .*.nodups file?  I have been doing this awhile, so why didn't I
have more .*.nodups files, dating back perhaps several years?  Are these
files necessary?  Can these files be set to go away at a certain time or not
appear at all?  Should I be removing the .*.nodups file when I remove my
temporary file?

Any insight you can give me into these *.nodups files would be greatly
appreciated.

Naomi

Naomi Bartel
address@hidden