Re: inotify back end for tail -f on linux

[Jim Meyering]

Giuseppe Scrivano wrote:
> The new version includes all these changes.
>
>>From 53bf397a3d34ccd2186197926c63b089477e5a62 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: Giuseppe Scrivano <address@hidden>
> Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 08:28:23 +0200
> Subject: [PATCH] tail: Use inotify if it is available.
>
> * NEWS: Document the new feature.
> * m4/jm-macros.m4: Check if inotify is present.
> * src/tail.c (tail_forever_inotify): New function.
> (main): Use the inotify-based function, if possible.
> * tests/Makefile.am: Added new tests for tail.
> * tests/test-lib.sh: The require_proc_pid_status_ and
> get_process_status_ functions were added.
> * tests/tail-2/pid: New file.
> * tests/tail-2/wait: New file.
> * tests/tail-2/tail-n0f: Refactored code into the
> test-lib.sh require_proc_pid_status_ function.

Thanks.

As mentioned in HACKING,
http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git/plain/HACKING:

    When writing prose (documentation, comments, log entries), use an
    active voice, not a passive one.  I.e., say "print the frobnozzle",
    not "the frobnozzle will be printed".

i.e., s/Added/Add/, etc. :

* tests/Makefile.am: Add new tests for tail.
* tests/test-lib.sh (require_proc_pid_status_, get_process_status_):
New functions.
* tests/tail-2/pid: New file.
* tests/tail-2/wait: New file.
* tests/tail-2/tail-n0f: Refactor code into the
test-lib.sh require_proc_pid_status_ function.

I'll comment on the code Monday.
Quick hint: test-lib.sh functions (and functions in general) should
avoid modifying variables like $pid and $* that may be in use by a caller.