appendfile



I'm having trouble using maxima's appendfile:

(C3) appendfile("buddy.txt");
(D3)            APPENDFILE(buddy.txt)
(C4) x;
(D4)                   x
(C5) y;
(D5)                   y
(C6) closefile("buddy.txt");

Error: Not in dribble.
Fast links are on: do (si::use-fast-links nil) for debugging
Error signalled by CATCH.
Broken at MACSYMA-TOP-LEVEL.  Type :H for Help.

I tried rolling my own appendfile, but I wasn't able to make dribble append to a file, instead
dribble would overwrite the existing file.   I read maxima's info on append file, but I don't
know the meaning of the four arguments.

Any hints?

Regards,

BW