Something deleting /tmp/.X11-unix

[macports at raf.org]

Al Varnell via macports-users wrote:

> > On Aug 28, 2019, at 14:46, Gregory Seidman <gsslist+macports at anthropohedron.net> wrote:
> > 
> > I recently switched to using a MacPorts-installed xorg-server instead of
> > downloading XQuartz separately; while I don't know if this issue is
> > related, I didn't have the problem before switching. Since then I've
> > noticed that after some number of days I can no longer make connections to
> > the X server, though current connections are fine. I tracked it down to
> > /tmp/.X11-unix going missing. I have since taken to moving /tmp/.X11-unix
> > to /var/tmp/.X11-unix and leaving a symlink in /tmp, but that hasn't
> > stopped the symlink from being removed. I can relink and everything is
> > fine, but I'd really like to know why it keeps getting removed.
> > 
> > Can anyone offer any insight?
> > 
> > --Greg
> 
> I'm sure someone familiar with this can provide a better explanation,
> but it's true that tmp (temporary) files are routinely deleted, either
> during the installation process or macOS after a week or so. Normally
> items in that area are either only needed by the installation process
> or downloaded there and then moved to their final location during
> installation. I would have to conclude that either something went
> wrong during installation or there is a step missing in a post-install
> script.
> 
> -Al-

I thought /tmp contents should only be deleted by the
process that created them, or when the system is
rebooted. If macos is routinely deleting files in /tmp
for no reason, that's terrible and would probably break
many things. Deleting a normal file is probably OK
since it won't really be deleted until the last process
that has it open closes it. But a socket is another
matter.

cheers,
raf