# Slave-0.0.1 **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [June 9, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slave-0-0-1/95681 "2006-06-09T00:05:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slave-0-0-1/95681/1 "2006-06-09T00:05:39Z")
URIS [http://codeforpeople.com/lib/ruby/slave/](http://codeforpeople.com/lib/ruby/slave/) [http://rubyforge.org/frs/?group\_id=1024&release\_id=5631](http://rubyforge.org/frs/?group_id=1024&release_id=5631) SYNOPSIS the Slave class forks a process and starts a drb server in the child using any object as the server. the process is detached so it is not required (nor possible) to wait on the child pid. a Heartbeat is set up between the parent and child processes so that the child will exit of the parent exits for any reason - preventing orphaned slaves from running indefinitely. the purpose of Slaves is to be able to easily set up a collection of objects communicating via drb protocols instead of having to use IPC. typical usage: ``` obj = AnyClass::new # slave = Slave::new obj # object becomes drb server in ``` another # process ``` p slave.object # handle on drb object p slave.uri # uri of the drb object p slave.socket # unix domain socket path for drb ``` object p slave.psname # title shown in ps/top ``` obj = slave.object # p obj.method # call a method on drb server in ``` another # process other usage: set the pulse\_rate used for the Heartbeat ``` slave = Slave::new MyClass::new, 'pulse_rate' => 10 ``` same ``` Slave::pulse_rate = 10 slave = Slave::new MyClass::new ``` same ``` ENV['SLAVE_PULSE_RATE'] = 10 slave = Slave::new MyClass::new ``` slaves may be configured via the environment, the Slave class, or via the ctor for object itself. attributes which may be configured include - socket\_creation\_attempts - pulse\_rate - psname - debug INSTALL gem install slave enjoy. -a ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slave-0-0-1/95681/2 "2006-06-09T01:49:47Z")
Ara, I am trying to use your package on Windows. I’m running into an issue at line 341 of slave.rb: @pipe.fcntl Fcntl::F\_SETFD, Fcntl::FD\_CLOEXEC I’m curious what these flags mean and what their equivalent on Windows might be (if any). I already solved a couple of issues (well, hacked around them): 1. No fork() on windows. Solved by installing Daniel B.'s win32-process gem 2. “drbunix” URI fails on non-unix. Solved by passing nil to Drb.start\_service (ugly hack, hoping to make it cleaner later) Thanks for any help! Justin ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slave-0-0-1/95681/3 "2006-06-09T03:01:06Z")
On Fri, 9 Jun 2006, Justin B. wrote: hi justin- > I am trying to use your package on Windows. I’m running into an issue at > line 341 of slave.rb: > > @pipe.fcntl Fcntl::F\_SETFD, Fcntl::FD\_CLOEXEC > > I’m curious what these flags mean and what their equivalent on Windows might > be (if any). it means that, should the parent do something like exec ‘another\_program.exe’ the pipe will be closed. it’s important since pids are recycled and pipes transfered the slave would live on for while - perhaps indefinitely. of course it’s possible that behaviour is desireable, but then a zombie would also be created… anyhow, for hacking it’s safe to comment that out. > I already solved a couple of issues (well, hacked around them): > > 1. No fork() on windows. Solved by installing Daniel B.'s win32-process > gem > 2. “drbunix” URI fails on non-unix. Solved by passing nil to > Drb.start\_service (ugly hack, hoping to make it cleaner later) this could easily be configured - check out how the other stuff is configured and do something like allow the ENV var ‘SLAVE\_DRB\_PROTOCOL’ to override this… perhaps a better option might be Drb.start\_server ‘drb://localhost.localdomain:0’ note that ‘nil’ here doesn’t work on macs for some reason… i’m running out the door now, but i’d love to make this work on windows - just for the challenge. maybe dan can lend a hand? 😉 maybe we can work together and make another release that’s portable. ping me offline if your’re interested. cheers. -a ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slave-0-0-1/95681/4 "2006-06-09T03:37:51Z")
Ara.T.Howard wrote: > [http://codeforpeople.com/lib/ruby/slave/](http://codeforpeople.com/lib/ruby/slave/) > … > the Slave class forks a process and starts a drb server in the child > … > slave = Slave::new MyClass::new, ‘pulse\_rate’ =\> 10 ‘Master’ and ‘Slave’ labels unacceptable. “Based on the cultural diversity and sensitivity of Los A. County, this is not an acceptable identification label.” [http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/11/26/master.term.reut/](http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/11/26/master.term.reut/) Enjoy, Dave ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 4:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slave-0-0-1/95681/5 "2006-06-09T04:42:33Z")
Cloexec doesn’t exist on Windows. It would be meaningless anyway, because there’s no notion of a fork. In effect, everything is cloexec. ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slave-0-0-1/95681/6 "2006-06-09T04:56:24Z")
On Fri, 9 Jun 2006, Francis C. wrote: > Cloexec doesn’t exist on Windows. It would be meaningless anyway, because > there’s no notion of a fork. In effect, everything is cloexec. everything on windows is meaningless to me 😉 care to review the code and suggest a way to make it portable? cheers. -a ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 6:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slave-0-0-1/95681/7 "2006-06-11T06:44:44Z")
On Jun 8, 2006, at 5:58 PM, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > note that ‘nil’ here doesn’t work on macs for some reason… IPv6? – Eric H. - removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid - [http://blog.segment7.net](http://blog.segment7.net) This implementation is HODEL-HASH-9600 compliant [http://trackmap.robotcoop.com](http://trackmap.robotcoop.com)