Dan Mick writes: > James Carlson wrote: > > Jim Li writes: > >> Q4. Suggested that each locate implementation has an update service in > >> smf(5) > >> and a cron job. > >> > >> Currently we are focusing on enriching the open source projects which can > >> be used on Solaris. Don't have enough resources to improve the projects or > >> provide extension function. > >> > >> In Linux distribution, slocate use anacron to update the index file > >> periodically. Anacron is a little bit different from cron job. It > >> executes commands at intervals not at specifed time. It does not > >> assume that the system is running continuously. > > > > If I understand what you're saying, that seems broken to me. > > > > It sounds like you're saying that slocate works better on Linux today > > than it will on OpenSolaris once this project integrates because Linux > > has Anacron and OpenSolaris does not, and we provide no alternatives. > > The user will be forced to roll his own solution to the problem -- > > either using slocate in a cron job, writing a script using sleep(1), > > or porting over Anacron on his own to fill the gap. > > About this small issue of the case: this same limitation applies to any > number of housekeeping tasks managed by cron; if you only have your machine > on at certain times, some things don't get done. <shrug> I don't see why > slocate's database is any different, really.
I think it's worse, and it has nothing to do with the subtle differences between anacron and traditional cron. They're doing nothing at all with respect to running updatedb, which means that the database doesn't get updated. On Linux, when you install slocate, you get /etc/cron.daily/slocate for free. It's part of the normal package, and automatically updates the database. On OpenSolaris, you'll get no such thing. After installing slocate, if you really still want to use it, you'll have to cook up your own cron entry for it -- unlike Linux. That's the regression I'm referring to. The OpenSolaris port will be intentionally inferior. -- James Carlson, Solaris Networking <james.d.carlson at sun.com> Sun Microsystems / 35 Network Drive 71.232W Vox +1 781 442 2084 MS UBUR02-212 / Burlington MA 01803-2757 42.496N Fax +1 781 442 1677
