>Is there a way to get the readline-library which those programs need to
>work in netbsd?

The readline library is also used by gdb.  See if you can use
/usr/src/gnu/usr.bin/gdb/{,obj/}libreadline.a .
-- 
Mike Long <mike.long@analog.com>           http://www.shore.net/~mikel
VLSI Design Engineer         finger mikel@shore.net for PGP public key
Analog Devices, CPD Division          CCBF225E7D3F7ECB2C8F7ABB15D9BE7B
Norwood, MA 02062 USA                assert(*this!=opinionof(Analog));