} elsif (defined $otherpid && $otherpid) {
            return if $$ == $otherpid; # should never happen
            $CPAN::Frontend->mywarn(
                                    qq{
There seems to be running another CPAN process (pid $otherpid).  Contacting...
});
            if (kill 0, $otherpid or $!{EPERM}) {
                $CPAN::Frontend->mywarn(qq{Other job is running.\n});
                my($ans) =
                    CPAN::Shell::colorable_makemaker_prompt
                        (qq{Shall I try to run in degraded }.
                        qq{mode? (Y/n)},"y");
                if ($ans =~ /^y/i) {
                    $CPAN::Frontend->mywarn("Running in degraded mode (experimental).
Please report if something unexpected happens\n");
                    $RUN_DEGRADED = 1;
                    for ($CPAN::Config) {
                        # XXX
                        # $_->{build_dir_reuse} = 0; # 2006-11-17 akoenig Why was that?
                        $_->{commandnumber_in_prompt} = 0; # visibility
                        $_->{histfile} = "";               # who should win otherwise?
                        $_->{cache_metadata} = 0;          # better would be a lock?
                        $_->{use_sqlite} = 0;              # better would be a write lock!
                    }
                } else {
                    $CPAN::Frontend->mydie("
You may want to kill the other job and delete the lockfile. On UNIX try:
    kill $otherpid
    rm $lockfile
");
                }
            } elsif (-w $lockfile) {
                my($ans) =
                    CPAN::Shell::colorable_makemaker_prompt
                        (qq{Other job not responding. Shall I overwrite }.
                        qq{the lockfile '$lockfile'? (Y/n)},"y");
            $CPAN::Frontend->myexit("Ok, bye\n")
                unless $ans =~ /^y/i;
            } else {
                Carp::croak(
                    qq{Lockfile '$lockfile' not writeable by you. }.
                    qq{Cannot proceed.\n}.
                    qq{    On UNIX try:\n}.
                    qq{    rm '$lockfile'\n}.
                    qq{  and then rerun us.\n}
                );
            }
        } else {
            $CPAN::Frontend->mydie(sprintf("CPAN.pm panic: Found invalid lockfile ".
                                           "'$lockfile', please remove. Cannot proceed.\n"));
        }
    }
    my $dotcpan = $CPAN::Config->{cpan_home};
    eval { File::Path::mkpath($dotcpan);};
    if ($@) {
        # A special case at least for Jarkko.
        my $firsterror = $@;
        my $seconderror;
        my $symlinkcpan;
        if (-l $dotcpan) {
            $symlinkcpan = readlink $dotcpan;
            die "readlink $dotcpan failed: $!" unless defined $symlinkcpan;
            eval { File::Path::mkpath($symlinkcpan); };
            if ($@) {
                $seconderror = $@;
            } else {
                $CPAN::Frontend->mywarn(qq{
Working directory $symlinkcpan created.
});
            }
        }
        unless (-d $dotcpan) {
            my $mess = qq{
Your configuration suggests "$dotcpan" as your
CPAN.pm working directory. I could not create this directory due
to this error: $firsterror\n};
            $mess .= qq{
As "$dotcpan" is a symlink to "$symlinkcpan",
I tried to create that, but I failed with this error: $seconderror
} if $seconderror;
            $mess .= qq{
Please make sure the directory exists and is writable.
};
            $CPAN::Frontend->mywarn($mess);
            return suggest_myconfig;
        }
    } # $@ after eval mkpath $dotcpan
    if (0) { # to test what happens when a race condition occurs
        for (reverse 1..10) {
            print $_, "\n";
            sleep 1;
        }
    }
    # locking
    if (!$RUN_DEGRADED && !$self->{LOCKFH}) {
        my $fh;
        unless ($fh = FileHandle->new("+>>$lockfile")) {
            if ($! =~ /Permission/) {
                $CPAN::Frontend->mywarn(qq{