cracraft@venera.isi.edu (Stuart Cracraft) (10/25/88)
I have a System V machine; When I do an fsck, it reports Possible file size error, and then "I=nnnn" where the inode is named. When inspected with ncheck, this inode turns out to be that for /usr/spool/lp/FIFO. If I delete this file and then run fsck again, I figured it would clean things up. A half hour later I discovered FIFO was back again and fsck was getting the same error again. Any idea what's happening oh great wizards? Stuart
asa@unisoft.UUCP (Asa Romberger) (10/26/88)
In article <6607@venera.isi.edu> cracraft@venera.isi.edu (Stuart Cracraft) writes: >I have a System V machine; When I do an fsck, it reports >Possible file size error, and then "I=nnnn" where the >inode is named. > >When inspected with ncheck, this inode turns out to be >that for /usr/spool/lp/FIFO. If I delete this file and >then run fsck again, I figured it would clean things up. > >A half hour later I discovered FIFO was back again and >fsck was getting the same error again. 1/ /usr/spool/lp/FIFO is created by lp when it runs, if it does not already exist. It is a named pipe. 2/ Some versions of fsck for System V do not handle named pipes correctly and frequently list them as "Possible file size error".
davidsen@steinmetz.ge.com (William E. Davidsen Jr) (10/28/88)
In article <6607@venera.isi.edu> cracraft@venera.isi.edu (Stuart Cracraft) writes: | I have a System V machine; When I do an fsck, it reports | Possible file size error, and then "I=nnnn" where the | inode is named. Some versions of fsck report this for a FIFO, and also for a sparse file, such as some forms of database and core dumps. I'm not sure I've ever seen a case in which there really was an error with that error message, but I suppose that there must be SOME case. -- bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa) {uunet | philabs}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me
allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon S. Allbery) (11/03/88)
As quoted from <6607@venera.isi.edu> by cracraft@venera.isi.edu (Stuart Cracraft): +--------------- | When inspected with ncheck, this inode turns out to be | that for /usr/spool/lp/FIFO. If I delete this file and | then run fsck again, I figured it would clean things up. | A half hour later I discovered FIFO was back again and | fsck was getting the same error again. +--------------- The only bug here is that fsck doesn't quite know what to do with a FIFO. /usr/spool/lp/FIFO is part of the spooler system, and is quite normal aside from fsck's slight brain damage. However, removing it while the spooler is running is a good way to f*ck up the spooler. Recommended treatment: none. Ignore the error (my experience is that if the POSSIBLE FILE SIZE ERROR isn't matched by a later error for the same inode, it's just a piece of fsck braindamage that can be ignored). Maybe complain to whoever ported the UNIX; I've seen System V fsck's which understand FIFOs and files with holes in them. ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery, comp.sources.misc moderator and one admin of ncoast PA UN*X uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery <PREFERRED!> ncoast!allbery@hal.cwru.edu allberyb@skybridge.sdi.cwru.edu <ALSO> allbery@uunet.uu.net comp.sources.misc is moving off ncoast -- please do NOT send submissions direct Send comp.sources.misc submissions to comp-sources-misc@<backbone>.