It IS a real file. > ls -l /dev/null crw-rw-rw- 1 root root 1, 3 Jan 28 2001 /dev/null
It's a bit bucket. Everything sent here is discarded. Nothing more, nothing less. But, it is a real file. > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 10:08 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] > Subject: Re: NULL_FILE > > > Right, but on a side note, if you were wondering Alexander, > /dev/null is > a "ghost" file. It only exists for this purpose and it isn't > necessarily > a real file. > > Raja, the born again Eru (In other words too many people had > the name Eru > so I completely changed my on-line name). > > On Mon, 25 Mar 2002 08:34:58 -0500 Jason Gauthier > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > writes: > > This has come up several times in the past. Basically, when > merc/diku > > were > > developed computers didn't have quite the... "strength" they have > > now. > > What this does is opens a file. > > It keeps the file open throughout the course of the mud running. > > Whenever a > > new file is opened this is closed, and then when the new file is > > closed the > > NULL_FILE is opened again. > > > > The reason is because each process has a limit of open file > > descriptors. > > (Connected sockets are open file descriptors). If you run > out, as it > > was > > more possible in the past, then opening a new file would fail, the > > mud would > > not function as expected or crash. Leaving a file open guarantees > > you've > > always got ONE free file descriptor. > > > > However, and here's where the religious war starts.... It's not > > much > > needed today. open file descriptors are configurable on > almost EVERY > > unix > > like OS, so if you really need then, you can increase the OS's > > variable. > > Linux by default, allocated 1024 file descriptors per process. > > Unless you > > have alot of players, and alot of open files, you don't exceed this > > too > > quickly. > > > > There are other things to do... and other's will give their > > suggestions.. > > but I removed mine. > > > > Jason > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Alexander Speransky [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 4:44 AM > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: NULL_FILE > > > > > > > > > Hello! > > > > > > > > > * The NULL_FILE is held open so that we have a stream handle > > > in reserve, > > > * so players can go ahead and telnet to all the other > > descriptors. > > > * Then we close it whenever we need to open a file (e.g. a > > > save file). > > > #define PLAYER_DIR "../player/" /* Player files > > */ > > > #define GOD_DIR "../gods/" /* list of gods > > */ > > > #define TEMP_FILE "../player/romtmp" > > > >#define NULL_FILE "/dev/null" /* To > > > reserve one stream */ > > > > > > > > > Can anyone tell me for what this file used ? I cannot > > understand.. > > > Why I need it? > > > > > > PS I read comments, but cannot find an answer. > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Best regards, > > > Alexander mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > -- > > > ROM mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > http://www.rom.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/rom > > > > > > > -- > > ROM mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.rom.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/rom > > >
