[systemd-devel] Antw: [EXT] [systemd‑devel] systemd‑tmpfiles: behavior of ‑‑clean

[Wols Lists]

On 31/08/2022 07:16, Ulrich Windl wrote:
>> 'tomcat.<####>' with other associated files (or directories below this).

> I think with the guideline "clean up your own dirt" there wouldn't be so much
> need for external cleanup if the applications would do a better job. The
> application always knows best what, how, and when to clean up. (MHO)
> 
Always? Sometimes the application doesn't have a clue!

Simple example, your system crashes (or a thread exits with a crash, 
security violation, out-of-mem, whatever). Why on earth should the 
*application* have a clue about what that crashed process was doing? If 
(as is the case with tomcat) it was carrying out a user request, all 
state has gone.

And even within the application you can't just come along and clean up 
stuff that doesn't belong to you because another thread might own it and 
be most upset when it disappears. Truly, the sysadmin often *does* know 
best.

Cheers,
Wol