Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!tank!mimsy!chris
From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: xon/xoff, signals, hangup
Message-ID: <14595@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: 17 Nov 88 19:31:45 GMT
References: <260@eda.com> <773@wsccs.UUCP> <14526@mimsy.UUCP> <460@auspex.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 18

>In article <14526@mimsy.UUCP> I wrote:
>>[The kernel] *should* give up after a `reasonable' timeout, on the
>>assumption that output never will drain.

In article <460@auspex.UUCP> guy@auspex.UUCP (Guy Harris) writes:
>Define "reasonable".  What if the line is going to a printer, and it
>runs out of paper?  It could be a while before those last few characters
>get transmitted....

That is why I put the word in quotes.  Perhaps the timeout should be
configurable (say, `n' seconds, where 0 = wait forever, set by an ioctl).

Even waiting forever for a printer or plotter may be wrong: if one
uses XON/XOFF flow control, but is reset after an XOFF, it may never
send an XON.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris