tjc@ecs.soton.ac.uk (Tim Chown) (11/22/89)
syd@DSI.COM (Syd Weinstein) writes: >EB09 Elm(1) does not check for failed writes and closes of files. > This can have a disastrous affect if /tmp runs out of space. > In this case, elm(1) might copy a mailbox to a /tmp file and > then back. Since elm(1) wouldn't detect that the copy to > the temp file failed, the temp file would wind up empty, > thereby causing the copy back to the mailbox to lose all > messages. > >Elm can run into trouble and loose all your messages if either >/tmp runs out of space or /usr/spool/mail (or /usr/mail) runs >out of space. If /tmp runs out of space, an emergency exit ('x' command) >will at least not loose the messages, as it won't do a copy back. >The best workaround is to try and manage things so that those file systems >don't run out of space, and I know that can be difficult. You don't have to use /tmp, of course as the configuration lets you pick any directory for temporary workspace. Using a file system other than the root one is more sensible, all you need is the cash for the disk ... Tim T.Chown@ecs.soton.ac.uk