🚀 go-pugleaf

Submitted-by: lebrun@ll.mit.edu ("Steven F. LeBrun")

I am looking for a method of file locking what works across NFS
mounted directories and am interested on what methods other 
people are using.

I tried flock() and discovered a bug that only exists if the file 
being locked is a remote (NFS) file.  If a program terminates without 
unlocking an NFS file (due to a system reboot, user abort, program 
bug [this is how I discovered the problem -- bugs can be useful at 
times :-) etc.] the file remains locked so that no other programs 
can access the file.

The programs that access the file are running on different computers 
with the same file accessible via NFS mounts.  Currently, the programs 
are all running on SGI Indigo's (IRIX 4.0.1) and other computers of 
unknown type will be added later.  I would prefer staying with advisory 
file locking but manditory file locking is an option.  Since the file
being locked is a log/audit trail file that the programs append their
next entries, locking the entire file is acceptable.  Locking the next
local record (next entry) and the entire file will have the same 
effect on the programs accessing the file.


--
Steven F. LeBrun
lebrun@ll.mit.edu

[ Note crosspostings, and Followup line.  Feel free to post any followups
  here (comp.std.unix) if you feel it relevent. -- mod ]

Volume-Number: Volume 29, Number 21