Re: [Nmh-workers] nmh-1.1-RC4 post /tmp/,LCK.* problem

[Joel Reicher]

> Joel Reicher wrote:
> >Dot locking is the only kind of locking guaranteed to be `supported' on
> >all/most servers, so I don't see how any other default is sensible.
> 
> Really, no default is sensible. There's one right setting -- whatever
> the other programs on your system are using -- and all the others are
> wrong. There's no point in successfully obtaining a dotlock if the
> programs you're trying to avoid clashing with are all using some other
> scheme...
> 
> Perhaps we should make configure insist on the user specifying a
> locking strategy, with no default :-)

When I said "sensible" I meant something along the lines of "has a
chance of working, if anything does". :)

I think it's a reasonable assumption that nmh programs will be the only
ones manipulating these files, because in the cases where this is not
true, the user that has set other programs going probably knows what
they're doing.

The principles I would like to see guiding the solution are:
1) It is difficult for an ignorant user to cause a problem for themselves.
2) A knowledgeable user will get behaviour they would expect or can
   easily understand.

That's probably not saying much though.

Cheers,

        - Joel