[comp.unix.ultrix] Named pipes on NFS file system?

perf@efd.lth.se (Per Foreby) (08/02/89)

Running Ultrix 3.0 on Mvax II and VS2000.

Named pipes doesn`t work on NFS file systems.

$ mknod nfs_pipe p
$ file nfs_pipe
nfs_pipe:       character special (255/255)
$ mknod /tmp/ufs_pipe p
$ file /tmp/ufs_pipe
/tmp/ufs_pipe:  port (named pipe
$ rsh sun_which_also_nfs_mounts file nfs_pipe
tmp/nfs_pipe:   fifo
$ echo > nfs_pipe
nfs_pipe: No such device or address
$

* I can make a named pipe on a local file system.
* If I make it on a nfs mounted system, the kernel thinks that it is a
  char special file (255,255).
* On another host (sun) I can use the pipe that I made from Ultrix.

Does anyone know about this? Fixed in Ultrix 3.1? Some undocumented
(or hard to find) option in the kernel?
--
Per Foreby
System manager at EFD, Lund Institute of Technology (Lund University)
Snail: E-huset, Tekniska Hogskolan i Lund, Box 118, S-221 00 LUND, Sweden. 
Email: perf@efd.lth.se		Phone: int + 46 46-10 75 98

grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) (08/03/89)

In article <PERF.89Aug2163421@osiris.efd.lth.se> perf@efd.lth.se (Per Foreby) writes:
> 
> Running Ultrix 3.0 on Mvax II and VS2000.
> 
> Named pipes doesn`t work on NFS file systems.
...
> Does anyone know about this? Fixed in Ultrix 3.1? Some undocumented
> (or hard to find) option in the kernel?

Well, it's definitly not fixed in Ultrix 3.1.

There actually seem to be two problems.

1 - if you create a pipe from ultrix on a filesystem that is remotely
    mounted, the ultrix systems sees it as a special device as you described,
    to the actual pipe node seem to be correctly created.

2 - if you create a pipe from another system on a filesystem that is
    locally mounted on ultrix, the pipe appears to be created, but does
    not work correctly - writes don't do anyting and reads get a
    "is a directory"

There was a problem with 2.2 that was described as having to do with
"modes" on named pipes and NFS.  Perhaps the patch didn't make it
into Ultrix 3.0 or otherwise got messed up...

From the 2.2 patch tape README file:

"	2. Fix for mode of named pipe created over NFS.

Have you reported this problem to DEC software support?

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)

grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) (08/03/89)

In article <PERF.89Aug2163421@osiris.efd.lth.se> perf@efd.lth.se (Per Foreby) writes:
> 
> Running Ultrix 3.0 on Mvax II and VS2000.
> 
> Named pipes doesn`t work on NFS file systems.

Did this happen only between the Vax systems and the Suns?  It was
easy to duplicate between a 785 and Sun 2 an Sun 4 systems, but I
couldn't make it happen between Vaxes.

I reported the problem to the support center...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)

gcardwel@envy.eng.uci.edu (Guy Cardwell) (08/04/89)

In article <7534@cbmvax.UUCP> grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) writes:
>In article <PERF.89Aug2163421@osiris.efd.lth.se> perf@efd.lth.se (Per Foreby) writes:
>> 
>> Running Ultrix 3.0 on Mvax II and VS2000.
>> Named pipes doesn`t work on NFS file systems.
>
>Did this happen only between the Vax systems and the Suns?  It was
>easy to duplicate between a 785 and Sun 2 an Sun 4 systems, but I
>couldn't make it happen between Vaxes.

Doesnt work... sounds to me like you were lucky..  when I tried named pipes
on our Sun 386i (SUN OS 4.0.1) which has space mounted from our Vaxstation II,
(Ultrix 3.0) the Vaxstation took a leap off of the deep end.  Messages on the
console were something on the order of...
Segmentation Fault... 
Stack dump follows....
Saving kernal....
Rebooting...
It managed to do this twice before I shut off the 386i.. it still had a cat
running into the FIFO.  yes, i can repeat it any time... so can our 386i
users. :( 
--
look.... even a test signature.....

perf@efd.lth.se (Per Foreby) (08/07/89)

In article <7534@cbmvax.UUCP> grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) writes:

>> Running Ultrix 3.0 on Mvax II and VS2000.
>> 
>> Named pipes doesn`t work on NFS file systems.
 
> Did this happen only between the Vax systems and the Suns?  It was
> easy to duplicate between a 785 and Sun 2 an Sun 4 systems, but I
> couldn't make it happen between Vaxes.
 
I didn't think of that, but it seems to work between vaxes:

52 perf@mordor$ cd "vax_nfs_directory"
53 perf@mordor$ mknod xx p
54 perf@mordor$ file xx
xx:  port (named pipe


> I reported the problem to the support center...
 
Thanx!

--
Per Foreby
System manager at EFD, Lund Institute of Technology (Lund University)
Snail: E-huset, Tekniska Hogskolan i Lund, Box 118, S-221 00 LUND, Sweden. 
Email: perf@efd.lth.se		Phone: int + 46 46-10 74 92