Re: [coLinux-devel] colinux/os/winnt/user/poll.c

[Dan A. <da...@gm...>]

On Sat, Feb 07, 2004 at 09:02:38AM +0200, Nir Perry wrote:
> Hi y'all,
> 
> Just a small comment - not really coLinux related, but it is a general 
> fault-tolerance issue:
> 
> When using function calls that can fail (assuming co_os_malloc(), like 
> malloc(), can run out of memory),
> one should always handle the failures.
> Of course, just returning an error here would not be enough - the higher 
> levels must handle it too.
> 
> Before you shoot me, yes - I know such code appears in SO MANY places, 
> and in so many projects, but that doesn't mean we want more...
> 
> Some people tend to say - "So what? if malloc() fails, I don't care, 
> because nothing can work after it. Just buy more memory". But 
> fault-tolerance is important to software. Especially to OS kernels.

Yes, I agree. The general solution is to allow the program (or module / 
branch of execution) to exit *cleanly* in an out-of-memory situations, 
keeping the problem as local as possible.

-- 
Dan Aloni
da...@gm...