Markus, I included you in the list of authors in the description because you updated the module in 2005. If you're not happy with it, let me know or delete your name.
there is a new module in GRASS-AddOns to import GSHHS
shorelines (Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical,
High-resolution Shoreline Database) named v.in.gshhs.
Actually this module is not new, it is resurrected and now
works with grass 6.4.
use 'svn proplist file.ext' for similar existing modules for hints.
Oops. I sort of "inherited" the code, didn't check newlines, worked on it, ran tools/grass_indent.sh and assumed everything would be fine but it wasn't. It should be all fixed now.