On Wed, Sep 15, 2010 at 12:19:43AM -0700, [email protected] wrote: > Doug Barton <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >>> ... Is it really absolutely necessary > > >>> to stop a service before it's files go away? > > > > IMO the only time the ports infrastructure itself should do this > > is if it isn't possible to pkg_delete the port cleanly if it's > > running. For example, if there is a file being held open that > > cannot be deleted unless the service is stopped ... > > Which should be an exceedingly rare circumstance, since the fact > of some process(es) having a file open will not ordinarily prevent > the removal of any or all directory entries pointing to it. The > inode and disk space won't actually be released until the last > such process closes the file, but another file could be created > having the same pathname as the one whose prior directory entry > was removed.
...which also makes the assumption the daemon doesn't do stat(2) or similar to verify a file exists, or does a multitude of other things that might act on a filesystem but not an open descriptor. We can sit here discussing what a daemon might do or not do until we're blue in the face, which is why I tend to side with Doug's argument that these sorts of tasks (stopping daemons, starting daemons, etc.) should be left to the administrator. I sympathise with the OP, but as I stated previously: what kind of administrator upgrades software, especially a daemon, then doesn't test/check to make sure everything's running correctly after the upgrade? I would rather we not try to solve a borderline social problem with software. But, also like Doug, I see the validity in the need for an automated upgrade infrastructure/framework that can provide daemon auto-stop and auto-start (I strongly oppose the latter) if desired. I just don't know how feasible that is, or if it's worth the time. -- | Jeremy Chadwick [email protected] | | Parodius Networking http://www.parodius.com/ | | UNIX Systems Administrator Mountain View, CA, USA | | Making life hard for others since 1977. PGP: 4BD6C0CB | _______________________________________________ [email protected] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-ports To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[email protected]"
