[comp.unix.questions] BSD ?= SysV File Locking

chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) (10/24/87)

This is more properly an operating systems question; and I have
redirected followups to comp.unix.questions.

4.2/4.3BSD does not support SysV-style file locking via lockf().
It does, however, support file locking.  lockf() allows locking a
range of bytes within a file, while 4BSD's flock() locks entire
files.  flock() locks are purely advisory:  flock() locks only
against other flock()s.  I do not know the precise details of
lockf() semantics.

The two systems are likely to have source-code compatible locking
once the POSIX standard is adopted.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690)
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