mapping ini(string fname)
{
  Stdio.FILE inifile = Stdio.FILE(fname);
  string line;
  mapping out = ([]);
  string currsect;

  while(line=inifile->gets())
    {
      // strip comments, if any
      line = String.trim_whites((line/"#")[0]);
      if(!sizeof(line)) // empty line, skip
	continue;
      if(line[0]=='[' && line[-1]==']')  // section heading
	{
	  currsect = String.trim_whites(line[1..sizeof(line)-2]);
	  continue;
	}
      if(String.count(line, "=")>0) // variable assignment
	{
	  if(!currsect)
	    {
	      werror("%s\: skipping garbage before any section heading\n", fname);
	      continue;
	    }
	  string var = String.trim_whites((line/"=")[0]);
	  string value = String.trim_whites(line[search(line, "=")+1..]);
	  out[currsect]+=([var:value]);
	}
      else
	{
	  throw(({"Error reading "+fname+"\n", backtrace()}));
	}
    }
  inifile->close();
  return out;
}