Name
lockfile
Synopsis
lockfile [options
]filenames
Creates semaphore file(s), used to limit access to a file. When
lockfile
fails to create some of the specified
files, it pauses for eight 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 won’t affect
that file).
Options
-
-sleeptime
Time
lockfile
waits before retrying after a failed creation attempt. Default is eight seconds.-
-!
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, it can lock and unlock your system mailbox with the options-ml
and-mu
, respectively.-
-r
retries
Stop trying to create
files
afterretries
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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