Re: [Nmh-workers] tempfile creation

[Mike O'Dell]

the number of people who fail to appreciate the semantic
subtlties which allow one to unlink() a file yet continue to
use it via an existing open file descriptor it is very large.

some "OS Designers" can be counted in that group.

the reference-count semantics are immensely useful, but not without
cost.  it complicates the design of NFS no small amount and is why
hard links cannot cross demountable volumes.
however, doing without those semantics is very difficult to imagine.

that's why the "symbolic link vs hard link" argument got so
tiring (both back the first time but also when it reappers
like the 17 year cicada).  suggesting that they are somehow
realistic alternatives to each other suggests a failure to
understand at least one of them in detail.

        cheers,
        -mo