Re: [leafnode-list] Cannot obtain lock file, aborting.

["Michael O'Quinn" <michael@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 14 Nov 2002, Nicolas wrote:

[MASSIVE SNIP]

> 
> Thanks for all this information. I'm a bit disappointed because I expected 
> another method, even if that one works... This lock file seems to be a really 
> bad bug... Does it always happen with leafnode? Is that normal? If the answer 
> is yes, I'm not sure to stick with leafnode... I want my server to be as 
> stable as possible, and to kill a program isn't a method I like to apply! =(
> Is there another method than this one?

Well, first you need to find out WHY fetchnews is still running.  Has it 
locked up?  Is your upstream server slow or buggy?  Are you simply 
fetching so much news that it takes a long time?  

Check your logs.  If you haven't already, turn on detailed logging and 
THEN check your logs.  Can you monitor your Internet connection?  I have a 
firewall that tells me how many bits per second are flowing, and that can 
help troubleshoot problems.  (If fetchnews is running, and zero data is 
flowing, something's wrong...)

The lock file is not a bug.  It's purpose is to prevent two fetchnews
processes from running at the same time and stomping all over each other.  
The issue is WHY are you trying to run fetchnews when another copy is
already running?

Do you run it from cron?  Are you running it when you connect to the 
Internet?

FWIW, I looked at other options to spool news locally, and despite it's
(frequently frustrating) shortcomings, leafnode turned out to be the
simplest to administer.  WAY easier than INN and Suck (and Suck's suddenly
and irrecoverably delete major portions of it's spool, even with lots of
disk space available.)  

There were some others I looked at, but they were all dead developmentally
-- there was no support community, and I couldn't contact the developer.  
I've administered news on and off for about 15 years, and believe me, it's
complicated enough that you WANT there to be a support community
available.  Leafnode has an active development and support community,
right here on this list.  Many of the members are willing to take the time
to help getting all working.  Also, Matthias and others are constantly
working on improving leafnode.

There are some news spooling programs that you have to pay for.  I think
one of them is "D-News".  Some of those look pretty good, but I didn't
even try any of them because, well, you have to pay for them and this is a
hobby for me.

Anyway, maybe someone else has a simpler solution than all my cron files.

Best of luck!
Michael


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