Make a unique filesystem path, without creating the file

[Jon Ribbens]

On 2016-02-22, Ethan Furman <ethan at stoneleaf.us> wrote:
> On 02/14/2016 04:08 PM, Ben Finney wrote:
>> I am unconcerned with whether there is a real filesystem entry of that
>> name; the goal entails having no filesystem activity for this. I want a
>> valid unique filesystem path, without touching the filesystem.
>
> This is impossible.  If you don't touch the file system you have no way 
> to know if the path is unique.

Weeeeeell, I have a lot of sympathy for that point, but on the other
hand the whole concept of UUIDs ("import uuid") is predicated on the
opposite assumption.