Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!ima!cfisun!lakart!dg
From: dg@lakart.UUCP (David Goodenough)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Demand paged executables
Summary: Why can't I unlink them?
Message-ID: <409@lakart.UUCP>
Date: 30 Jan 89 18:24:15 GMT
Reply-To: dg@lakart.UUCP (David Goodenough)
Organization: Lakart Corporation - The ultimate in broadcast automation
Lines: 17

There is doubtless a good reason for it, but why is it not possible to
unlink a demand paged program that is executing. I realise that
the system needs to keep the program text somewhere, but why can it not
do the same as is done with a normally open file: just remove the
directory entry, but hang on to the I-node and disk blocks until such
time as the process execl()'s or exit()'s. I am probably missing
something, but I don't see the difference between a d.p. executable
being used, and me opening a file and going

... seek(); read(); ... seek(); read(); ...

up and down it. So what's the scoop?
-- 
	dg@lakart.UUCP - David Goodenough		+---+
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