⁉️ Interview question
What happens when you use os.link() to create a hard link to a file that is already open in write mode by another process, and how does this affect the file’s inode reference count, data integrity, and potential for race conditions during deletion?

Creating a hard link via `os.link()` increases the inode reference count, meaning the file won’t be deleted until all links are removed. However, if the original file is being written to, the new link points to the same underlying data blocks. If the original file is truncated or deleted while the link exists, the data remains accessible through the link until all processes close it. This can lead to data inconsistency if the writing process modifies the file size but the link still references old data. Additionally, concurrent operations on the same inode without proper synchronization may cause corruption or unexpected behavior.

#️⃣ tags: #Python #AdvancedPython #FileHandling #HardLink #Inode #OS #RaceCondition #DataIntegrity #FileOperations #SystemCalls #Linux #FileDeletion

By: t.iss.one/DataScienceQ 🚀