term% cat index.txt QER(8) System Manager's Manual QER(8)
NAME
qer, runq - queues management for spooled files
SYNOPSIS
qer root tag reply args
runq [ -ad ] root cmd
DESCRIPTION
Qer creates a control and a data file in a queue directory. The con‐
trol file contents consist of the tag, reply, and args separated by
spaces. The data file contains the standard input to qer. The files
are created in the directory root/user, where user is the contents of
/dev/user. Mktemp(2) is used to create the actual names of the control
and data file.
Runq processes the files queued by qer. Without the -a option, runq
processes all requests in the directory root/user, where user is the
contents of /dev/user. With the -a it processes all requests. Each
request is processed by executing the command cmd with the contents of
the control file as its arguments, the contents of the data file as its
standard input, and standard error appended to the error file E.XXXXXX.
The action taken by runq depends on the return status of cmd. If cmd
returns a null status, the processing is assumed successful and the
control, data, and error files are removed. If cmd returns an error
status containing the word the files are left to be reprocessed at a
later time. For any other status, an error message is mailed to the
requester and the files are removed. Runq uses the reply field in the
control file as a mail address to which to send an error notification.
The notification contains the contents of the control file to identify
the failed request.
To avoid reprocessing files too often, the following algorithm is used:
a data file younger than one hour will not be processed if its error
file exists and was last modified within the preceding 10 minutes. A
data file older than one hour will not be processed if its error file
exists and was last modified within the preceding hour.
The -d option causes debugging output on standard error describing the
progress through the queues.
Runq is often called from cron(8) by an entry such as
0,10,20,30,40,50 * * * * kremvax
runq -a /mail/queue /mail/lib/remotemail
The entry must be a single line; it is folded here only so it fits on
the page.
FILES
root/user
queue directory for user
root/user/D.XXXXXX
data file
root/user/C.XXXXXX
control file
root/user/E.XXXXXX
error file
SOURCE
/sys/src/cmd/upas/q
SEE ALSO
mail(1)
QER(8)