Name
lockfile
Synopsis
lockfile [options
]filenames
Create semaphore file(s), used to limit access to a file. When lockfile fails to create some of the specified files, it pauses for 8 seconds and retries the last one on which it failed. The command processes flags as they are encountered (i.e., a flag that is specified after a file will not affect that file).
Options
- - sleeptime
Number of seconds lockfile waits before retrying after a failed creation attempt. Default is 8.
- -!
Invert return value. Useful in shell scripts.
- -l lockout_time
Time (in seconds) after a lockfile was last modified at which it will be removed by force. See also -s.
- -ml, -mu
If the permissions on the system mail spool directory allow it or if lockfile is suitably setgid, lockfile can lock and unlock your system mailbox with the options -ml and -mu, respectively.
- -r retries
Stop trying to create files after retries retries. The default is -1 (never stop trying). When giving up, remove all created files.
- -s suspend_time
After a lockfile has been removed by force (see -l), a suspension of 16 seconds takes place by default. (This is intended to prevent the inadvertent immediate removal of any lockfile newly created by another program.) Use -s to change the default 16 seconds.
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