paolo@ai-vie.UUCP (Paolo Petta) (06/02/89)
We are experiencing the following problem running Elm 2.2 (currently PL 7)
on our Apollo network (DN3000s, DOMAIN/IX SR 9.6 BSD4.2):
We have a unique /usr/spool/mail directory on one node (let's call it
{MAILNODE}); whenever a user starts Elm on his/her node (let's call this
one {USERNODE}) upon receipt of mail, his/her /usr/spool/mail/{USERNAME} mailbox
file on {MAILNODE} results in being locked in the following way:
(as stated by llkr)
Locked by "{USER_FULL_NAME} @ {USERNODE}"
Locking modes on /usr/spool/mail/{USERNAME} : FILE_$NR_XOR_1W FILE_$READ
The consequence of this is that nobody from any *other* node on the network
(including the user him/herself, root,...) is able to send him/her mail for
the time he/she has Elm running (whereas anybody can successfully post mail
from (the very same) {USERNODE}).
This particularly means that any mail from the outside world *bounces* with
the error message
deliver: can't open /usr/spool/mail/{USERNAME}: Text file busy
deliver: delivery to the following address(es) failed on host {NODENAME}
"{USERNAME}": Can't write to mailbox
554 {USERNAME}... unknown mailer error 1
Is this a bug due to SR 9.6? - I tried rebuilding the whole package *without*
LOCK_BY_FLOCK, getting no noticable change in behaviour - the debug-trace states
Lock /usr/spool/mail/paolo.lock incoming for file /usr/spool/mail/paolo on.
Lock incoming for file /usr/spool/mail/paolo on successfully.
Lock /usr/spool/mail/paolo.lock for file /usr/spool/mail/paolo going off.
Lock none for file /usr/spool/mail/paolo already off.
So the program evidently believes the mailboxfile is free for access...
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks for Your patience,
paolo
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paolo@ai-vie.uucp (...mcvax!tuvie!ai-vie!paolo)
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paolo petta
austrian research institute for artificial intelligence
schottengasse 3, a-1010 vienna, austria