[Mailman-Developers] New LockFile.py

[bwarsaw@python.org]

>>>>> "DM" == Dan Mick <Dan.Mick@west.sun.com> writes:

    DM> The heat that will be generated in my brain when I try to use
    DM> standard date-based techniques to deal with such files....

Hmm, they will /hopefully/ be transient enough that you may never see
them.  If you do catch them, ls does "something reasonable", and you
can always just rm them without too much ill happening (assuming a
quiescent Mailman system).

    DM> No, I don't know of any current program that will or won't
    DM> break.  But it's certainly what I would call "violating a
    DM> fundamental precept", and I don't see why it's necessary; if
    DM> we need some delta to a future time, the lock file can always
    DM> have contents.

The problem is that any algorithm I've been able to come up with that
re-writes the file contents, say when you refresh the lock, is rife
with race conditions.  Given that Postfix and Big Brother use similar
techiques, I'm inclined to keep it for Mailman too.  But I definitely
appreciate the feedback, and will keep your concerns in mind.

-Barry