lockfile-progs

lockfile-create [options] lockfile
lockfile-remove lockfile
lockfile-check lockfile

lockfile
    The path to the lockfile.

-l locklifetime
    Set the lifetime of the lockfile. After this time, the lock is considered stale and can be broken.

-r retrycount
    Set the number of times to retry creating the lockfile.

-s sleeptime
    Set the sleep time (in seconds) between retries.

-mlock | -flock | -nfslock
    Specify locking method (memory, file, or NFS).

-debug
    Enable debug output.

The lockfile-progs package provides a set of command-line utilities designed to manage lockfiles, allowing shell scripts to safely coordinate access to shared resources. These utilities are crucial for preventing race conditions and ensuring data integrity in concurrent environments.

Key utilities include:

• lockfile-create: Creates a lockfile.
• lockfile-remove: Removes a lockfile.
• lockfile-check: Checks if a lockfile exists.

They offer features like timeouts, retry mechanisms, and different locking methods, empowering scripts to handle lock contention gracefully. lockfile-progs are essential tools for system administrators and developers who need reliable locking mechanisms in their scripts. They are commonly used to synchronize access to files, databases, and other critical resources.

lockfile-create returns 0 on success, and a non-zero value on failure.
lockfile-remove returns 0 on success, and a non-zero value if the lockfile does not exist or cannot be removed.
lockfile-check returns 0 if the lockfile exists, and 1 if it does not.

The lockfile-progs package has evolved to address the need for robust and reliable lockfile management in shell scripting. Historically, naive lockfile implementations were prone to issues like stale locks and race conditions. This suite of tools provides standardized and more secure mechanisms for handling locks, improving the reliability of scripts, especially in environments with concurrent processes.

flock(1), mktemp(1)