Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!sgi!shinobu!odin!anchor!olson From: olson@anchor.esd.sgi.com (Dave Olson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi Subject: Re: itty bitty IRIX questions Message-ID: <1991Jun2.192550.15694@odin.corp.sgi.com> Date: 2 Jun 91 19:25:50 GMT References: <9106020322.AA12664@crow.omni.co> Sender: news@odin.corp.sgi.com (Net News) Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc. Mountain View, CA Lines: 24 In mg@godzilla.cgl.rmit.oz.au (Mike Gigante) writes: | The way I have figured it is that the first time each day it is really slow | while the other times ity is fast. It may be either date/time based as I | speculate, or it may ignore /tmp/ps_data if it is older than X (for some X) Actually, I abbreviated the algorithm somewhat. The ps_data file is ignored and/or re-created if it is older than any of /unix, /dev, and /etc/passwd. So if you create devices/files in /dev a lot, or alter /etc/passwd fairly often, that might explain it. Both mtime and ctime are considered; some backup programs modify ctime to preserve atime, so this might explain your first use of the day slowness. Excessive age is not a reason to not use the ps_data file; it is considered simply a sign of a stable system :) Also note that if you use YP/NIS, that new YP users don't show up by name in the ps output until you touch one of those files or remove the ps_data file. -- Dave Olson Life would be so much easier if we could just look at the source code.