Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ssbell!kent
From: kent@ssbell.UUCP (Kent Landfield)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: unlink safe before close?
Keywords: unlink before close
Message-ID: <473@ssbell.UUCP>
Date: 9 May 89 03:48:45 GMT
References: <755@unify.UUCP> <1989May7.053222.21348@utfyzx.uucp> <910@mks.UUCP>
Reply-To: kent@ssbell.UUCP (ssbell Admin)
Distribution: na
Organization: Sterling Software, FSG-IMD, Bellevue, NE.
Lines: 23

In article <910@mks.UUCP> rand@mks.UUCP (Randall Howard) writes:
>Of course any SVID/POSIX compliant system where unlink before close
>is dangerous is just plain buggy.  However, in the real world, systems
>like MS-DOS and OS/2 corrupt the file system or give errors, respectively
>in this case.  As a result, and in the interests of maximal portability
>it is always a good idea to close files before unlinking.

The original question was specifically targeted towards creating
temporary files on UNIX machines. The rest of the world is targeting
compliance with 1003.1 POSIX. That should be your guide to portability.
If the "real world systems" do not comply with the standard, they should
be fixed. BTW, FYI, word has it that Bill Gates was claiming MS was
going to make OS/2 1003.1 compliant for government procurements real 
soon...

Now if you want to talk about "Real systems"..... :-)
		
		-Kent+
---
Kent Landfield               UUCP:     kent@ssbell
Sterling Software FSG/IMD    INTERNET: kent%ssbell.uucp@uunet.uu.net
1404 Ft. Crook Rd. South     Phone:    (402) 291-8300 
Bellevue, NE. 68005-2969     FAX:      (402) 291-4362