Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!math.fu-berlin.de!opal!unido!fauern!NewsServ!k2 From: k2@bl.physik.tu-muenchen.de (Klaus Steinberger) Newsgroups: comp.mail.elm Subject: Re: Will ELM ever use lockf()? Message-ID: Date: 26 Mar 91 11:46:20 GMT References: <1991Mar25.193741.12360@coplex.uucp> <1991Mar26.055600.27712@ariel.unm.edu> Sender: news@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE Organization: Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Germany Lines: 40 sfreed@ariel.unm.edu (Steven Freed CIRT) writes: >In article <1991Mar25.193741.12360@coplex.uucp>, dean@coplex.uucp (Dean Brooks) writes: >-> Now, we do not have "flock()" on our system (and many other V3.2 >-> systems). Since smail doesn't recognize elm's locking, and vice >-> versa, I have a REAL nasty problem. >-> >-> If elm were to support "lockf()" all my problems would be gone. Are >-> there any hopes in the future of this being included in the elm source? >We have talked about this here at UNM but we have yet to take any serious >action on it. The reason we are interested in doing something is because of >the locking problems with NFS. Lockf() is the *only* way to guarantee >file locking with NFS. I can point out several scenarios where lock files >will fail. To make the change means that everything that writes any mailboxes >on the system including /bin/mail must use lockf(). Sure, but a good system implementation (like RiscOS) emulates flock through lockf. >Right now, mail is collected on each machine, but we would like to centralize >it to one partition on one machine. To do this either means hacking lockf() >into everything including elm or hack POP into elm. Both options are being >considered. I'm very interested in this topic, because we have some machines, which have lockf but no flock (arghhhh!), and we want to mount their /usr/mail directory. Our other machines are using flock, but they have the flock implemented through lockf according to the manual, so NFS will be no problem on them. POP will also be a solution, it has the advantage, that our PC users will be also happy. Sincerely, Klaus Steinberger -- Klaus Steinberger Beschleunigerlabor der TU und LMU Muenchen Phone: (+49 89)3209 4287 Hochschulgelaende FAX: (+49 89)3209 4280 D-8046 Garching, Germany BITNET: K2@DGABLG5P Internet: k2@bl.physik.tu-muenchen.de