exim_lock(k)                   Exim                  exim_lock(k)



NAME
       exim_lock - A program to lock a file exactly as Exim would

SYNOPSIS
       exim_lock [-v]  [-q]  [-lockfile]  [-fcntl|-mbx]  filename
       [command]

DESCRIPTION
       exim_lock  is a program to lock a file in exactly the same
       way as Exim would. It is intended for the investigation of
       interlocking  problems,  but  can  also be used to prevent
       Exim from modifying the file while you do  something  else
       to it (for example if you need to manually edit your mail-
       box in /var/mail).

       Apart from specifying the name of the file to lock,  which
       is  required, the following optional arguments may also be
       supplied to exim_lock :

       -v     specifies verbose mode (this is overridden if -q is
              also specified);

       -q     specifies quiet mode (takes precendence over -v );

       -fcntl specifies that exim_lock should use an fcntl lock;

       -lockfile
              specifies  that  exim_lock  should  use a lock file
              (sometimes called a "dotlock");

       -mbx   specifies that  exim_lock  should  lock  using  MBX
              rules.  To  quote  from  the  source of exim_lock ,
              "This is complicated and  is  documented  with  the
              source  of the c-client library that goes with Pine
              and IMAP. What has to be  done  to  interwork  cor-
              rectly is to take out a shared lock on the mailbox,
              and an exclusive lock on a /tmp file."

       command
              specifies the command to  run  once  the  specified
              file  is locked. The mailbox will be unlocked again
              when this command exits.

       Note that if these  parameters  are  not  specified,  then
       exim_lock  will  lock  the  file  using fcntl and lockfile
       methods, and then run a shell.

SEE ALSO
       exim(m)

       There  is  also  extensive  documentation   available   in
       /usr/doc/exim and in the info system (try "info exim").

       Please be sure to have the exim-doc package installed.

AUTHOR
       Exim was, and mostly is, written by Philip Hazel, inspired
       by Smail 3.

       This manual page was written by Nick Phillips  <nwp@lemon-
       computing.com> for the Debian GNU/Linux system.



Debian GNU/Linux           Jan 31, 2002              exim_lock(k)