[Info-vax] select() returning -1

[Samuel Ferencik]

Hi,

Is there something wrong with the select() call on VMS? If so, is there a workaround, or an equivalent native DEC call?

==Why I'm asking==

I'm looking at a problem in vim (on VMS only): vim freezes when you encounter the "swap file already exists" dialog and you hit <Esc>. Steps to reproduce here: http://www.polarhome.com/horde/whups/ticket/?id=15

I have drilled down (in the vim source code) to a select() call which always returns -1, meaning error. [http://linux.die.net/man/2/select]

==Why I suspect select() on VMS==

There are two reasons I suspect this may be a VMS-specific problem of select():

1) There's a comment in the vim source code (os_unix.c) saying
        /* Old VMS as v6.2 and older have broken select(). It waits more than
         * required. Should not be used */
Now, this is not my case: I'm using VMS 7.3, and select() definitely doesn't wait longer than required - it returns immediately with -1. But the comment is sufficient to raise my suspicion.

2) http://saf.bio.caltech.edu/unix_to_vms_notes.txt says that "OpenVMS select() only works on sockets, it does NOT work on files." That would perhaps explain the behaviour I'm observing - but who knows but that the website is referring to VMS <= 6.2, same as the comment?

I will be grateful for any pointer.

Thanks,
Sam