.getwd and .getwdCNNNNN

[Dan Hoey]

We at last have a way to prevent users from stepping on each other's
temporary files in 4.3BSD (and therefore SunOS 4.0.3).  I do a ``chmod +t
/tmp'' so that /tmp/* can only be deleted by owner or superuser.

But we have been seeing problems with /tmp filling up with thousands of
files named .getwdCNNNNN, where C is a letter, either ``a'' or ``b'', and
NNNNN is a process ID.  These are apparently related to /tmp/.getwd, which
``man 3 getwd'' says ``exists for the sole purpose of the getwd() library
routine; no other software should depend on its existence or contents.''
It seems like these files tend to get created when two or more users of a
machine are calling system(3) lots of times.

Is there a good way to cut down on the creation of these files?  I am
really getting tired of having to fix people's Suns when their filesystem
becomes full.  Could someone at least explain to me the purpose and use of
these files?  Under what circumstances are they created and deleted?

Dan Hoey
HOEY at AIC.NRL.NAVY.MIL