What is the use of /var/lock/news

What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Pieter Wenk]

Hello to all,

By which program are created lck file in /var/lock/news ?

What us the purpose of these files ?

Are they created just in order to spoil somewhat the
pleasure reading the news ?

Inadvertently I did not notice the creation of such
a file....

Result....in all my subscribed groups the different
summary settings were just gone....

Is there away to get rid of such lock files ? 
I know of course the command rm...

I mean with getting rid....that such damm...files
are not created anymore...unless they are really
required for a specific purpose justifying not
to avoid their creation....

So far I do not see any use...except to be really
annoying.

It's perhaps somewhat out of topic...but since
I have no idea which program is creating these
"great" files...ie. leafnode or gnus....I should
like to apologize for inconviences.

Many thanks for your answers
--
        
                           / /  (_)____ __ ____  __
      Pieter Wenk         / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ /  Vevey/Switzerland
                         /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Stainless Steel Rat]

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* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Fri, 14 Jan 2000
| By which program are created lck file in /var/lock/news ?

/var/lock/news?  Probably your news server.

| What us the purpose of these files ?

To prevent more than one instance of the news server from clobbering things 
like your active file.

Do you have inn or leafnode or some such running on your system?
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Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Pieter Wenk]

On ven, 14 jan 2000, Stainless Steel Rat wrote:

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>* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Fri, 14 Jan 2000
>| By which program are created lck file in /var/lock/news ?
>
>/var/lock/news?  Probably your news server.
>
>| What us the purpose of these files ?
>
>To prevent more than one instance of the news server from clobbering things 
>like your active file.
>
>Do you have inn or leafnode or some such running on your system?

Yes, I have leafnode, latest version 1.9.9 running.

Leafnode seems however to work absolutely correctly ?
Fetchnews works....texpire also ?

Regards
--
        
                           / /  (_)____ __ ____  __
      Pieter Wenk         / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ /  Vevey/Switzerland
                         /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Stainless Steel Rat]

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* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Sat, 15 Jan 2000
| Yes, I have leafnode, latest version 1.9.9 running.

| Leafnode seems however to work absolutely correctly ?
| Fetchnews works....texpire also ?

Then I suspect leafnode's NNTP server is creating the lock files.  They are
created to prevent two or more instances of leafnode or especially
fetchnews from being started, which would effectively destroy your spool.

IOW, making the lock files "go away" is a Bad Thing(tm).
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Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net>    \ When not in use, Happy Fun Ball should be
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Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Laura Conrad]

>>>>> "Rat" == Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net> writes:

    Rat> Then I suspect leafnode's NNTP server is creating the lock
    Rat> files.  They are created to prevent two or more instances of
    Rat> leafnode or especially fetchnews from being started, which
    Rat> would effectively destroy your spool.

    Rat> IOW, making the lock files "go away" is a Bad Thing(tm).

Except that in my experience with fetchnews, it does sometimes leave
the lockfiles lying around when the connection gets broken
unexpectedly.    What I have at the moment for dealing with this is
that in the /etc/ppp/ip-down.local script, which gets executed when
the ppp process ends, I remove any old lockfiles.

I believe that the latest leafnode distribution actually checks
whether the lockfile belongs to an existing process, and removes it if 
it doesn't, so my ip-down.local removal may be unnecessary now, but
I'm pretty sure it's harmless in that context.

-- 
Laura (mailto:lconrad@world.std.com , http://www.world.std.com/~lconrad/ )
(617) 661-8097	fax: (801) 365-6574 
233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Pieter Wenk]

On sam, 15 jan 2000, Stainless Steel Rat wrote:

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>* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Sat, 15 Jan 2000
>| Yes, I have leafnode, latest version 1.9.9 running.
>
>| Leafnode seems however to work absolutely correctly ?
>| Fetchnews works....texpire also ?
>
>Then I suspect leafnode's NNTP server is creating the lock files.  They are
>created to prevent two or more instances of leafnode or especially
>fetchnews from being started, which would effectively destroy your spool.

Thanks a lot. But why leafnode's NNTP server is creating this
file ? I understand this protective measure. But for what
reason leafnode is locking ? Is something wrong with leafnode ?
I assume, leafnode is creating such a file for a reason?

Regards
--
        
                           / /  (_)____ __ ____  __
      Pieter Wenk         / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ /  Vevey/Switzerland
                         /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Kai Großjohann]

Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch> writes:

> [...] But why leafnode's NNTP server is creating this
> file ? I understand this protective measure. But for what
> reason leafnode is locking ?[...]

It is important that the _first_ instance of Leafnode does the
locking.  This way, Leafnode can check for the existence of a lock
file, and barf if it exists.

kai
-- 
A large number of young women don't trust men with beards.  (BFBS Radio)

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Pieter Wenk]

On dim, 16 jan 2000, Kai Großjohann wrote:

>Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch> writes:
>
>> [...] But why leafnode's NNTP server is creating this
>> file ? I understand this protective measure. But for what
>> reason leafnode is locking ?[...]
>
>It is important that the _first_ instance of Leafnode does the
>locking.  This way, Leafnode can check for the existence of a lock
>file, and barf if it exists.

Kai, the problem with these files is the following. 
You are under ~/user, fire gnus...

Know with an existing lock file...fetching will not
work correctly and you might notice this only too
late....

Leafnode resp. fetchnews has certainly reasons to
create such a file...but I sincerely would appreciate
that Cornelius could find another way....

Like this..IMHO it's not a satisafoctory solution.

Now what are you suggesting I have to do ??

Regards to Dortmund
--
        
                           / /  (_)____ __ ____  __
      Pieter Wenk         / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ /  Vevey/Switzerland
                         /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Kai Großjohann]

Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch> writes:

> Know with an existing lock file...fetching will not
> work correctly and you might notice this only too
> late....

???

kai
-- 
A large number of young women don't trust men with beards.  (BFBS Radio)

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Pieter Wenk]

On dim, 16 jan 2000, Kai Großjohann wrote:

>Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch> writes:
>
>> Know with an existing lock file...fetching will not
>> work correctly and you might notice this only too
>> late....
>
>???
>
Ooops. 

Please read: Know with an existing lock file...fetching will not
 work correctly and you might notice this only too
 late....

Kai, when I am under user account you are not advised, 
that such a lock file is created....I have an entry in
my crontab doing this job every 15 minutes...

Regards
--
        
                           / /  (_)____ __ ____  __
      Pieter Wenk         / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ /  Vevey/Switzerland
                         /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Stainless Steel Rat]

* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Mon, 17 Jan 2000
| Please read: Know with an existing lock file...fetching will not
|  work correctly and you might notice this only too
|  late....

Your leafnode installation is broken.
-- 
Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net>    \ Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
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PGP Key: at a key server near you!  \ 

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Pieter Wenk]

On lun, 17 jan 2000, Stainless Steel Rat wrote:

>* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Mon, 17 Jan 2000
>| Please read: Know with an existing lock file...fetching will not
>|  work correctly and you might notice this only too
>|  late....
>
>Your leafnode installation is broken.

Hm...I guess no. I am running the latest version ie. 1.9.9.

It's not "always" creating a lock file...when reading
news...

Regards
--
        
                           / /  (_)____ __ ____  __
      Pieter Wenk         / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ /  Vevey/Switzerland
                         /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Stainless Steel Rat]

* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Tue, 18 Jan 2000
| It's not "always" creating a lock file...when reading
| news...

Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.
That sounds "broken" to me.  I would strongly recomend you ask on a
leafnode discussion about this, because the problem is not with Gnus.
-- 
Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net>    \ Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
Minion of Nathan - Nathan says Hi! \ 
PGP Key: at a key server near you!  \ 

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Pieter Wenk]

On mar, 18 jan 2000, Stainless Steel Rat wrote:

>* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Tue, 18 Jan 2000
>| It's not "always" creating a lock file...when reading
>| news...
>
>Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.
>That sounds "broken" to me.  I would strongly recomend you ask on a
>leafnode discussion about this, because the problem is not with Gnus.

Thanks a lot. I haver already done this on one of the
sites, Cornelius himself is frequently writing.

Regards
--
        
                           / /  (_)____ __ ____  __
      Pieter Wenk         / /__/ / _ \/ // /\ \/ /  Vevey/Switzerland
                         /____/_/_//_/\_,_/ /_/\_\

Re: What is the use of /var/lock/news

[Stainless Steel Rat]

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* Pieter Wenk <pwenk@urbanet.ch>  on Sun, 16 Jan 2000
| Thanks a lot. But why leafnode's NNTP server is creating this
| file ? I understand this protective measure. But for what
| reason leafnode is locking ? Is something wrong with leafnode ?
| I assume, leafnode is creating such a file for a reason?

| >Then I suspect leafnode's NNTP server is creating the lock files.  They are
| >created to prevent two or more instances of leafnode or especially
| >fetchnews from being started, which would effectively destroy your spool.
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-- 
Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net>    \ When not in use, Happy Fun Ball should be
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