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From: jda@mas1.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Identify file name given file descriptor
Message-ID: <513@mas1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 19-May-87 21:06:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: mas1.513
Posted: Tue May 19 21:06:05 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 21-May-87 02:09:57 EDT
References: <710@twitch.UUCP>
Organization: Measurex Automation Systems, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 17
Summary: Even if it has no name



Several pointed out that a file with no links has no name.

But Ultrix 1.0 (and presumably also 4.2BSD) often makes NO change
to the directory entry when a file is unlinked.  (The preceding
entry has its d_reclen incremented to render the obsolete entry
"invisible".  Presumably the obsolete entries are destroyed only
when the directory is about to grow by a block.)

You will need a special version of readdir(3) which returns "erased"
entries.  It should be fun to write since the obsoleted entries can
be in various stages of obliteration!   :-)

BTW, has anyone written a real "unrm" program?

             -- James D. Allen