1 .\" Copyright (c) 2005 Pawel Jakub Dawidek <pjd@FreeBSD.org>
2 .\" All rights reserved.
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25 .\" $FreeBSD: head/lib/libutil/pidfile.3 231193 2012-02-08 08:49:30Z pjd $
35 .Nd "library for PID files handling"
41 .Fn pidfile_open "const char *path" "mode_t mode" "pid_t *pidptr"
43 .Fn pidfile_write "struct pidfh *pfh"
45 .Fn pidfile_close "struct pidfh *pfh"
47 .Fn pidfile_remove "struct pidfh *pfh"
49 .Fn pidfile_fileno "const struct pidfh *pfh"
53 family of functions allows daemons to handle PID files.
56 to lock a pidfile and detect already running daemons.
60 function opens (or creates) a file specified by the
62 argument and locks it.
67 and file can not be locked, the function will use it to store a PID of an
68 already running daemon or
70 in case daemon did not write its PID yet.
71 The function does not write process' PID into the file here, so it can be
74 and exit with a proper error message when needed.
79 .Pa /var/run/ Ns Ao Va progname Ac Ns Pa .pid
85 close-on-exec flag when opening the pidfile.
89 function writes process' PID into a previously opened file.
90 The file is truncated before write, so calling the
92 function multiple times is supported.
96 function closes a pidfile.
97 It should be used after daemon
99 to start a child process.
103 function closes and removes a pidfile.
107 function returns the file descriptor for the open pidfile.
111 function returns a valid pointer to a
113 structure on success, or
120 .Rv -std pidfile_write pidfile_close pidfile_remove
124 function returns the low-level file descriptor.
131 is specified, or if the pidfile is no longer open.
133 The following example shows in which order these functions should be used.
134 Note that it is safe to pass
145 pid_t otherpid, childpid;
147 pfh = pidfile_open("/var/run/daemon.pid", 0600, &otherpid);
149 if (errno == EEXIST) {
150 errx(EXIT_FAILURE, "Daemon already running, pid: %jd.",
153 /* If we cannot create pidfile from other reasons, only warn. */
154 warn("Cannot open or create pidfile");
156 * Even though pfh is NULL we can continue, as the other pidfile_*
157 * function can handle such situation by doing nothing except setting
162 if (daemon(0, 0) == -1) {
163 warn("Cannot daemonize");
175 syslog(LOG_ERR, "Cannot fork(): %s.", strerror(errno));
182 syslog(LOG_INFO, "Child %jd started.", (intmax_t)childpid);
193 function will fail if:
196 Some process already holds the lock on the given pidfile, meaning that a
197 daemon is already running.
202 the function will use it to store a PID of an already running daemon or
204 in case daemon did not write its PID yet.
205 .It Bq Er ENAMETOOLONG
206 Specified pidfile's name is too long.
208 Some process already holds the lock on the given pidfile, but PID read
209 from there is invalid.
214 function may also fail and set
216 for any errors specified for the
225 function will fail if:
228 Improper function use.
229 Probably called before
235 function may also fail and set
237 for any errors specified for the
246 function may fail and set
248 for any errors specified for the
256 function will fail if:
259 Improper function use.
260 Probably called not from the process which made
266 function may also fail and set
268 for any errors specified for the
280 function will fail if:
283 Improper function use.
284 Probably called not from the process which used
295 functionality is based on ideas from
296 .An John-Mark Gurney Aq Mt jmg@FreeBSD.org .
298 The code and manual page was written by
299 .An Pawel Jakub Dawidek Aq Mt pjd@FreeBSD.org .