1 .\" $NetBSD: lockf.3,v 1.2 1998/02/05 18:47:28 perry Exp $
3 .\" Copyright (c) 1997 The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.
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6 .\" This code is derived from software contributed to The NetBSD Foundation
7 .\" by Klaus Klein and S.P. Zeidler.
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37 .\" $FreeBSD: src/lib/libc/gen/lockf.3,v 1.5.2.5 2003/03/13 18:05:37 trhodes Exp $
44 .Nd record locking on files
50 .Fn lockf "int filedes" "int function" "off_t size"
54 function allows sections of a file to be locked with advisory-mode locks.
57 from other processes which attempt to lock the locked file section will
58 either return an error value or block until the section becomes unlocked.
59 All the locks for a process are removed when the process terminates.
63 is an open file descriptor.
64 The file descriptor must have been opened either for write-only
72 argument is a control value which specifies the action to be taken.
73 The permissible values for
76 .Bl -tag -width ".Dv F_ULOCK" -compact -offset indent
80 unlock locked sections
82 lock a section for exclusive use
84 test and lock a section for exclusive use
86 test a section for locks by other processes
90 removes locks from a section of the file;
94 both lock a section of a file if the section is available;
96 detects if a lock by another process is present on the specified section.
100 argument is the number of contiguous bytes to be locked or
102 The section to be locked or unlocked starts at the current
103 offset in the file and extends forward for a positive size or backward
104 for a negative size (the preceding bytes up to but not including the
106 However, it is not permitted to lock a section that
107 starts or extends before the beginning of the file.
110 is 0, the section from the current offset through the largest possible
111 file offset is locked (that is, from the current offset through the
112 present or any future end-of-file).
114 The sections locked with
118 may, in whole or in part, contain or be contained by a previously
119 locked section for the same process.
120 When this occurs, or if adjacent
121 locked sections would occur, the sections are combined into a single
123 If the request would cause the number of locks to
124 exceed a system-imposed limit, the request will fail.
129 requests differ only by the action taken if the section is not
132 blocks the calling process until the section is available.
134 makes the function fail if the section is already locked by another
137 File locks are released on first close by the locking process of any
138 file descriptor for the file.
141 requests release (wholly or in part) one or more locked sections
142 controlled by the process.
143 Locked sections will be unlocked starting
144 at the current file offset through
146 bytes or to the end of file if size is 0.
147 When all of a locked section
148 is not released (that is, when the beginning or end of the area to be
149 unlocked falls within a locked section), the remaining portions of
150 that section are still locked by the process.
152 portion of a locked section will cause the remaining locked beginning
153 and end portions to become two separate locked sections.
155 request would cause the number of locks in the system to exceed a
156 system-imposed limit, the request will fail.
160 request in which size is non-zero and the offset of the last byte of
161 the requested section is the maximum value for an object of type
162 off_t, when the process has an existing lock in which size is 0 and
163 which includes the last byte of the requested section, will be treated
164 as a request to unlock from the start of the requested section with a
168 request will attempt to unlock only the requested section.
170 A potential for deadlock occurs if a process controlling a locked
171 region is put to sleep by attempting to lock the locked region of
173 This implementation detects that sleeping until a
174 locked region is unlocked would cause a deadlock and fails with an
183 locks may be safely used concurrently.
185 Blocking on a section is interrupted by any signal.
188 In the case of a failure, existing locks are not changed.
202 and the section is already locked by another process.
206 is not a valid open file descriptor.
216 is not a valid file descriptor open for writing.
222 and a deadlock is detected.
230 was interrupted by the delivery of a signal.
243 refers to a file that does not support locking.
252 and satisfying the lock or unlock request would result in the number
253 of locked regions in the system exceeding a system-imposed limit.