Re: Change default MTA was Re: Fedora Core 2 wishlists

[Chris Ricker <kaboom gatech edu>]

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003, Sam Varshavchik wrote:

> >                                    Look at why the file naming was revised
> > -- PID recycling was causing non-unique filenames w/in a second, which in
> > turn lead to collisions.
> 
> And how exactly would some kind of a locking mechanism change that?

After thinking about it, you're right. Addition of locking could have
decreased the window, but not eliminated it.

> No, and I'd be surprised if he ever does anything with Qmail again.

I'd heard he was doing some total rewrite for qmail-2.0. That might just be
vicious 'net rumor though....

> There's an established filename creation convention.  As long as everyone
> follows the same set of rules -- which provide a GREAT deal of leeway --
> there's no collision.  Even the older format, used by mutt, is not a problem
> because the collision could only occur if mutt terminates and its pid get
> recycled in the same second.  The filename collision is only an issue for
> mail delivery agents, which get forked, unload a single message, and exit.
> It's not an issue for mail clients.

What I was picturing there was the process of an MUA using PID as naming
moving mail from new -> cur (in conjunction w/ MDA using dev#inode#) getting
horked by the MUA exiting and restarting with its PID recycled. Locking
wouldn't solve that either, though....

later,
chris