More on 4.2 mail

[Ted Nolan]

In article <308 at sdchema.UUCP> jwp at sdchema.UUCP (John Pierce) writes:
>While we're on this subject, there is another problem that can also be a bit
>mystifying.
>
>If you have a heavily loaded system and mail gets heavy use it's possible for
>user's mailboxes to get scrambled through two processes writing to it at once.
>Both sendmail and /bin/mail try to prevent this by establishing a lock file
>while they're rewriting the mail file.  Both (understandbly) have code that
>allows a process to break the lock after some number of seconds.  As we got
>it, however, /bin/mail's time limit was 30 seconds.
>
>.................................................. If anyone has a better fix
>I would much appreciate hearing about it.
>
>				John Pierce, Chemistry, UC San Diego
>				{decvax,sdcsvax}!sdchema!jwp

How about having binmail and sendmail use 4.2's flock(2) system call.
Sounds like exactly what's needed.

				Ted Nolan	..usceast!ted
-- 
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Ted Nolan                               ...decvax!mcnc!ncsu!ncrcae!usceast!ted
6536 Brookside Circle                   ...akgua!usceast!ted
Columbia, SC 29206
      ("Deep space is my dwelling place, the stars my destination")
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