IETF Logo Mail Archive

Exclusive-access locking of maildrop

Michael D'Errico <Mike@software.com> Tue, 31 May 1994 23:21 UTC

Received: from ietf.nri.reston.va.us by IETF.CNRI.Reston.VA.US id aa15922; 31 May 94 19:21 EDT
Received: from CNRI.RESTON.VA.US by IETF.CNRI.Reston.VA.US id aa15918; 31 May 94 19:21 EDT
Received: from PO2.ANDREW.CMU.EDU by CNRI.Reston.VA.US id aa29029; 31 May 94 19:21 EDT
Received: (from postman@localhost) by po2.andrew.cmu.edu (8.6.7/8.6.6) id TAA00513; Tue, 31 May 1994 19:13:56 -0400
Received: via switchmail for ietf-pop3+@andrew.cmu.edu; Tue, 31 May 1994 19:13:53 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from po3.andrew.cmu.edu via qmail ID </afs/andrew.cmu.edu/service/mailqs/q001/QF.QhuwEae00Udb4Qc04x>; Tue, 31 May 1994 19:11:35 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from rome.software.com (rome.software.com [198.17.234.2]) by po3.andrew.cmu.edu (8.6.7/8.6.6) with ESMTP id TAA07323 for <ietf-pop3@andrew.cmu.edu>; Tue, 31 May 1994 19:11:20 -0400
Received: from rome (rome.software.com [127.0.0.1]) by rome.software.com with ESMTP id AAA24225 for <ietf-pop3@andrew.cmu.edu>; Tue, 31 May 1994 16:11:16 -0700
To: ietf-pop3@andrew.cmu.edu
Subject: Exclusive-access locking of maildrop
Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 16:11:14 -0700
Sender: ietf-archive-request@IETF.CNRI.Reston.VA.US
From: Michael D'Errico <Mike@software.com>
Message-ID: <19940601001115.AAA24225@rome.software.com>

One thing I'd like to see removed from the POP3 spec. is
the requirement to have an exclusive-access lock on a
maildrop.  (See p. 4 of RFC 1460.)

This seems to be motivated by the standard UNIX maildrop
format where all messages are kept in a single file.  If
you use a different approach to maildrop management such
as keeping messages in individual files in a directory,
there is no need to lock the maildrop.

I suggest changing to spec. to say that a server MAY
acquire an exclusive-access lock if it is desirable, but
that it is not required.

Michael D'Errico
mike@software.com

v2.23.0 | Report a Bug | By Email