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From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: BSD ?= SysV File Locking
Message-ID: <9087@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 24-Oct-87 03:36:36 EST
Article-I.D.: mimsy.9087
Posted: Sat Oct 24 03:36:36 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Oct-87 05:49:46 EST
References: <463@petro.UUCP>
Followup-To: comp.unix.questions
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Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 15
Keywords: lockf
Xref: mnetor comp.lang.c:5141 comp.unix.questions:4667

This is more properly an operating systems question; and I have
redirected followups to comp.unix.questions.

4.2/4.3BSD does not support SysV-style file locking via lockf().
It does, however, support file locking.  lockf() allows locking a
range of bytes within a file, while 4BSD's flock() locks entire
files.  flock() locks are purely advisory:  flock() locks only
against other flock()s.  I do not know the precise details of
lockf() semantics.

The two systems are likely to have source-code compatible locking
once the POSIX standard is adopted.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris