Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!wuarchive!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!noao!arizona!dave
From: dave@cs.arizona.edu (Dave P. Schaumann)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Changing .zoo archive to .lzh archive: help!
Keywords: Unique directory names
Message-ID: <885@caslon.cs.arizona.edu>
Date: 17 Feb 91 03:41:17 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson
Lines: 33


I am trying to write a script that will allow me to convert zoo archives
to lharc archives under Unix.  Here's what I have so far:

mkdir xxx
cd xxx
zoo xq// ../$1.zoo
lharc aq ../$1.lzh * `no-dot .*`
cd ..
rm -r xxx

Where "no-dot" is a simple program that echos back everything in argv[] that
isn't "." or ".."

This works fine, except for two problems: first, there might already be a
file called "xxx" in the current directory, and second, I can't have more
than one invocation going at once.

Now, I could write a program to generate a temporary directory name using
getpid() and some unlikely template, like "xx-######-temp".  What I need to
know is:

  1.  Is it a reasonable assumption that no two concurrent getpid()'s will
      return the same value?

  2.  Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

-- 
Dave Schaumann      | DANGER: Access holes may tear easily.  Use of the access
		    | holes for lifting or carrying may result in damage to the
dave@cs.arizona.edu | carton and subsequent injury to the user.