On 2/12/07, Stan Horwitz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> On Feb 12, 2007, at 10:03 PM, Patrick B. O'Brien wrote:
>
> > Let's say I'm vi'ing (viewig) my /home/listserv/listsev.log file.
> >
> > And an event occurs.
> >
> > Will that event get written to the *.log file when I exit out of
> > the log
> > file?
>
> You shouldn't edit an active log file. Instead, either more it or
> tail it. If you "tail -f" a log file, you will see it update before
> your eyes.

As Stan said, you shouldn't edit an active log.  However, if you use
the readonly version of vi, or any other 'reader' of a file, you won't
affect what's going into the file. On a Unix or Unix style system, a
read of a file opens up a new file handle, and your process gets a
copy of that handle.  The writing process has a different handle, and
continues to write.  Anything that happens while you're reading the
file will get written to the log, but you won't see it in your read
process.  At least, that's how I remember it.



-- 
David Phillips
Molon Labe !
leaving the vicinity of  35° 46' N , 78° 48'W
towards 36° 08' 47" N , 80° 19' 23" W in March, sort of.
Lose Not A Minute!