[net.news.b] Problem with inews.

sks@hcfeams.UUCP (Sam Spitzner) (10/23/86)

I recently installed news version B 2.11 beta 9/22/86.  I am being
flooded with messages in my "log" file concerning "Cannot write
file, already exists."

During investigation, I determined that there was an errorno of 17
that was being acted on.  The problem was traced to the active file
not being updated with articles posted on my machine.  It is not
affecting any downline sites, just mine.  I have traced the inews
module, and the fprintf on line 638 is returing a value of 15, which
indicates a correct write.

I am running on a DEC 8600 running SVR2.0.   The C compiler is
release 6.0.  Any ideas as to where to look?

Sam Spitzner
ihnp4!chinet!hcfeams!sks
(312) 727-5129

sks@hcfeams.UUCP (Sam Spitzner) (10/24/86)

In article <267@hcfeams.UUCP>, sks@hcfeams.UUCP (Sam Spitzner) writes:
> I recently installed news version B 2.11 beta 9/22/86.  I am being
> flooded with messages in my "log" file concerning "Cannot write
> file, already exists."
> The problem was traced to the active file not being updated
> with articles posted on my machine.
> I am running on a DEC 8600 running SVR2.0.   The C compiler is
> release 6.0.  Any ideas as to where to look?

The problem is in the fflush call following the fprintf.  
The resolution is to add the line "setbuf(actfp, NULL);" immediately
following the xfopen(actfp, r+) call.  This will turn off buffering
for this file.  This seems to be necessary only when writing partial
lines.

I don't know if this same problem exists with other machines running
pure SVR2.0, but it seems like a minor fix to make (just in case).

-- 
	 sks (Sam Spitzner)
Email address: ihnp4!chinet!hcfeams!sks
USnail address: 225 W. Randolph, HQ17B, Chicago, Il. 60606
Voice: (312) 727-5129

grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (10/24/86)

In article <267@hcfeams.UUCP> sks@hcfeams.UUCP (Sam Spitzner) writes:
>I recently installed news version B 2.11 beta 9/22/86.  I am being
>flooded with messages in my "log" file concerning "Cannot write
>file, already exists."
>
>During investigation, I determined that there was an errorno of 17
>that was being acted on.  The problem was traced to the active file
>not being updated with articles posted on my machine.  It is not
>affecting any downline sites, just mine.  I have traced the inews
>module, and the fprintf on line 638 is returing a value of 15, which
>indicates a correct write.
>
>Sam Spitzner ihnp4!chinet!hcfeams!sks

I seem to recall having the same problem bring up 2.10.3 under SVr1 on
a Zilog system.  There was some code, commented out, that was supposed
to fix a BSD problem.  I activate the code and everything worked fine.
-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)