Re: [Exim] Locked mail spool file

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Author: Jeremy C. Reed
Date:  
To: Trevor Sky Garside
CC: pop-imap, exim-users
Subject: Re: [Exim] Locked mail spool file
On Mon, 11 Sep 2000, Trevor Sky Garside wrote:

> How does Exim handle the case where it tries to run appendfile on a file
> that is locked by the filesystem?


I am not sure of the perfect or correct way. But creating a user.lock file
in the mail spool (or whatever you want to call it) directory is the
standard.

In addition, you can use fcntl(2) to create a shared lock. Depending on
how it used, I am not sure if this locks the whole file or if it locks a
portion. Also, I am not sure if you are supposed to save the current
setting (F_SETLK) so you can restore it.

> I am taking on the rather bold task of writing my own POP3 daemon, and I'm
> stuck on how to actually handle the mail-spool file.


I am also working on writing a POP3 server. I have several purposes
including: support a variety of virtual hosting ideas and authentication
ideas (such as my http://www.reedmedia.net/projects/virtualmail), add some
type of ssl-wrapper internally (need clients to do this also) and because
I use gnu-pop3d which has not been maintained for almost a year (other
than the patches that I integrate and provide via my virtualmail project)
and gnu-pop3d has some problems with dieing daemons, sockets not closing
etc...

Maybe we can join our efforts?

There is also a pop-imap mailing list which is very low traffic and I
Cced this message to it.
pop-imap@???
http://www.exim.org/mailman/listinfo/pop-imap

If you have pop3 specific questions, you may want to consider joining that
list.

  Jeremy C. Reed
....................................................
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     http://bsd.reedmedia.net/