diff --git a/src/util/bfRing.c b/src/util/bfRing.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf25e7d50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/bfRing.c
@@ -0,0 +1,229 @@
+/*	$Id$
+ *	Author:	Roger A. Cole
+ *	Date:	03-09-90
+ *
+ *	Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS)
+ *
+ *	Copyright 1991, the Regents of the University of California,
+ *	and the University of Chicago Board of Governors.
+ *
+ *	This software was produced under  U.S. Government contracts:
+ *	(W-7405-ENG-36) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory,
+ *	and (W-31-109-ENG-38) at Argonne National Laboratory.
+ *
+ *	Initial development by:
+ *		The Controls and Automation Group (AT-8)
+ *		Ground Test Accelerator
+ *		Accelerator Technology Division
+ *		Los Alamos National Laboratory
+ *
+ *	Co-developed with
+ *		The Controls and Computing Group
+ *		Accelerator Systems Division
+ *		Advanced Photon Source
+ *		Argonne National Laboratory
+ *
+ * Modification Log:
+ * -----------------
+ * .01	03-09-90	rac	initial version
+ * .02	07-30-91	rac	installed in SCCS
+ *
+ * make options
+ *	-DvxWorks	makes a version for VxWorks
+ *	-DNDEBUG	don't compile assert() checking
+ *      -DDEBUG         compile various debug code, including checks on
+ *                      malloc'd memory
+ */
+/*+/mod***********************************************************************
+* TITLE	bfRing.c - fixed size ring file 'manager' for text
+*
+* DESCRIPTION
+*	
+*-***************************************************************************/
+
+#include <bfDefs.h>
+
+#ifdef vxWorks
+#   include <vxWorks.h>
+#   include <ioLib.h>		/* for O_RDWR and O_RDONLY definitions */
+#   include <stdioLib.h>
+#else
+#   include <stdio.h>
+#   include <sys/file.h>	/* for O_RDWR and O_RDONLY definitions */
+#endif
+
+
+#ifndef vxWorks
+    main(argc, argv)
+    int     argc;		/* number of command line args */
+    char   *argv[];		/* command line args */
+    {
+	int	stat=OK;	/* status */
+	char	*name;		/* pathname to file */
+	char	*command;	/* command */
+	int	nBytes=0;	/* number of bytes for file size */
+
+	if (argc >= 3) {	/* must be command and >= 2 arg */
+	    name = argv[1];
+	    command = argv[2];
+	}
+	else
+	    stat = ERROR;
+	if (strcmp(command, "create") == 0) {
+	    if (argc == 4) {
+		if (sscanf(argv[3], "%d", &nBytes) != 1)
+		    stat = ERROR;
+	    }
+	    else if (argc != 3)
+		stat = ERROR;
+	}
+	if (stat == OK) {
+	    stat = bfRing(name, command, nBytes);
+	}
+	if (stat != OK) {
+	    printf("Usage: %s name command [nBytes]\n", argv[0]);
+	    exit(1);
+	}
+	exit(0);
+    }
+#endif
+
+/*+/subr**********************************************************************
+* NAME	bfRing - implement ring files
+*
+* DESCRIPTION
+*	Provide a 'shell' for using ring files
+*
+* RETURNS
+*	OK, or
+*	ERROR
+*
+*-*/
+int
+bfRing(name, command, nBytes)
+char	*name;		/* file name */
+char	*command;	/* command */
+int	nBytes;		/* number of bytes, for 'create' */
+{
+    char        message[80];    /* temp for status message */
+    int         stat;           /* status return */
+
+    BF_DESC	*pDesc=NULL;	/* pointer to block file descriptor */
+
+    BF_BLOCK	*pBuf;		/* buffer for last read or acquired block */
+    long	blockNum;	/* blockNum of last read or acquired block */
+    long	nBlocks;	/* number of blocks to create */
+    long	blockSize;	/* size of blocks */
+
+    if (strlen(name) >= GEN_FNAME_DIM) {
+	printf("bfRing: file name too long\n");
+	return ERROR;
+    }
+
+    if (strcmp(command, "create") == 0) {
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+* create - create and initialize a named block file for a ring file; the
+*	file will be a BF_FLAG_GROW file, with no free blocks.
+*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+	int	i;
+	long	fileFlags;	/* flags */
+	long	maxBlocks;	/* size limit */
+
+	blockSize = 1000;
+	if (nBytes < blockSize*2) {
+	    printf("nBytes must be at least %d\n", blockSize*2);
+	    return ERROR;
+	}
+	nBlocks = 1 + (nBytes-1)/blockSize; /* size for user info + block0 */
+
+	pDesc = bfCreate(name, BF_TYPE_RING,
+				1, blockSize, BF_FLAG_GROW, nBlocks);
+	stat = bfClose(&pDesc);
+    }
+    else if (strcmp(command, "info") == 0) {
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+* info - print some information about the file
+*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+        pDesc = bfOpen(name, O_RDONLY, BF_TYPE_RING, 0);
+	if (pDesc == NULL) {
+	    printf("bfRing: can't open %s\n", name);
+	    return ERROR;
+	}
+	printf("bfRing: head, tail = %d %d\n",
+		BfB0RingHead(pDesc), BfB0RingTail(pDesc));
+    }
+    else if (strcmp(command, "retrieve") == 0) {
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+* retrieve - read the information from the file and write to stdout
+*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+	char	record[80];
+
+        pDesc = bfOpen(name, O_RDONLY, BF_TYPE_RING, 0);
+	if (pDesc == NULL) {
+	    printf("bfRing: can't open %s\n", name);
+	    return ERROR;
+	}
+
+	while (bfRingFgets(record, 80, pDesc) != NULL)
+	    fputs(record, stdout);
+
+	stat = bfClose(&pDesc);
+    }
+    else if (strcmp(command, "store") == 0) {
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+* store - store information from stdin into the file
+*
+* BUGS
+* o	need to address races between storing and retrieving
+*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+	int	i;
+	long	flink;
+	char	c;
+	char	record[80];
+
+        pDesc = bfOpen(name, O_RDWR, BF_TYPE_RING, 0);
+	if (pDesc == NULL) {
+	    printf("bfRing: can't open %s\n", name);
+	    return ERROR;
+	}
+
+	while (fgets(record, 80, stdin) != NULL) {
+	    if (bfRingFputs(record, pDesc) == EOF) {
+		printf("error on bfRingFputs()\n");
+		break;
+	    }
+	}
+
+	stat = bfClose(&pDesc);
+    }
+    else if (strcmp(command, "unlock") == 0) {
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+* unlock - remove the file write lock for the file
+*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+	if (strlen(name) > 0) {
+	    char lockName[GEN_FNAME_DIM+5]; /* name of lock file */
+
+	    sprintf(lockName, "%s.lock", name);
+	    if ((stat = unlink(lockName)) != 0)
+		perror("bfRing: removing lock file");
+	}
+	else {
+	    printf("syntax error; ");
+	    printf("usage: bfRing name unlock\n");
+	}
+    }
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+*
+*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+    else {
+	printf("Legal commands are:\n");
+	printf("	name create [nBytes]\n");
+	printf("	name info\n");
+	printf("	name retrieve\n");
+	printf("	name store <file\n");
+	printf("	name unlock\n");
+    }
+
+    printf("\n");
+    return OK;
+}