On 2000-09-11 at 21:25 -0700, Trevor Sky Garside gifted us with:
> I'm just wondering how Exim handles encountering a flock'd file (or if
> anyone has any good ideas here).
Since you're writing a new POP3 server, I'd kind of assume that you know
C. [1]
So surely the best way of checking is to go read the Exim source code?
You're asking about appendfile, so look at the source for appendfile.
Also, take a look at the options of the transport, which change the
behaviour. And read the "Operational details for appending" section.
Then, and I'm telling you this because I'm nice really, have a think -
are fcntl and flock implemented the same way on your system? If not, is
anything likely to be using flock()? And if they are different, does
flock affect a non-blocking open? Which type of open does Exim use?
*shrugs*
[1] You _could_ write a POP3 server in Perl, and if it's started from
inetd with 'wait' and handles multiple users internally, the startup
overhead would be limited and perhaps feasible. I'd still expect
you to know C though, on principle. ;^P
--
A science is said to be useful if its development tends to accentuate the
existing inequalities in the distribution of wealth, or more directly promotes
the destruction of human life - Godfrey Hardy, A Mathematician's Apology, 1941
