On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 11:11 AM, Achim Gratz <strom...@nexgo.de> wrote: > Olaf Meeuwissen <olaf.meeuwis...@avasys.jp> writes: >> If running `make check` (or similar) creates these files, `make clean` >> (or similar) should clean them up. > > I was asking that question to decide whether I do need to extend my > Makefile fork to handle the cleanup or if the testsuite needs to be > called differently to avoid leaving these stale files. ... It would > also seem logical that for debugging purposes one could leave the files > around.
If created with make-temp-file, and created in the system-configured $TMPDIR directory, I would urge (wearing my sysadmin hat) that they get purged at the end of the test run, unless told to do otherwise. If created in the build/test directory, then either make clean or immediate purge seems reasonable. Files created in the system $TMPDIR are not meant (caution: purist view) to remain beyond the execution of the program (or set of programs). Some OS variants are set up to purge the $TMPDIR on reboot, login, or at other times, and some even store it in a virtual memory backed filesystem. When performing as a sysadmin, finding that an application has littered a (usually) limited system resource such as the system $TMPDIR with files that are no longer useful is a minor irritant at best, to a crash-inducing resource consumer at worst. Just my $0.02 if you are taking donations. Brian
