1 .\" $NetBSD: lockf.3,v 1.10 2008/04/30 13:10:50 martin Exp $
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35 .Nd record locking on files
41 .Fn lockf "int filedes" "int function" "off_t size"
45 function allows sections of a file to be locked with advisory-mode locks.
48 from other processes which attempt to lock the locked file section will
49 either return an error value or block until the section becomes unlocked.
50 All the locks for a process are removed when the process terminates.
54 is an open file descriptor.
55 The file descriptor must have been opened either for write-only
63 argument is a control value which specifies the action to be taken.
64 The permissible values for
67 .Bl -tag -width F_ULOCKXX -compact -offset indent
71 unlock locked sections
73 lock a section for exclusive use
75 test and lock a section for exclusive use
77 test a section for locks by other processes
81 removes locks from a section of the file;
85 both lock a section of a file if the section is available;
87 detects if a lock by another process is present on the specified section.
91 argument is the number of contiguous bytes to be locked or
93 The section to be locked or unlocked starts at the current
94 offset in the file and extends forward for a positive size or backward
95 for a negative size (the preceding bytes up to but not including the
97 However, it is not permitted to lock a section that
98 starts or extends before the beginning of the file.
101 is 0, the section from the current offset through the largest possible
102 file offset is locked (that is, from the current offset through the
103 present or any future end-of-file).
105 The sections locked with
109 may, in whole or in part, contain or be contained by a previously
110 locked section for the same process.
111 When this occurs, or if adjacent
112 locked sections would occur, the sections are combined into a single
114 If the request would cause the number of locks to
115 exceed a system-imposed limit, the request will fail.
120 requests differ only by the action taken if the section is not
123 blocks the calling process until the section is available.
125 makes the function fail if the section is already locked by another
128 File locks are released on first close by the locking process of any
129 file descriptor for the file.
132 requests release (wholly or in part) one or more locked sections
133 controlled by the process.
134 Locked sections will be unlocked starting
135 at the current file offset through
137 bytes or to the end of file if size is 0.
138 When all of a locked section
139 is not released (that is, when the beginning or end of the area to be
140 unlocked falls within a locked section), the remaining portions of
141 that section are still locked by the process.
143 portion of a locked section will cause the remaining locked beginning
144 and end portions to become two separate locked sections.
146 request would cause the number of locks in the system to exceed a
147 system-imposed limit, the request will fail.
151 request in which size is non-zero and the offset of the last byte of
152 the requested section is the maximum value for an object of type
153 off_t, when the process has an existing lock in which size is 0 and
154 which includes the last byte of the requested section, will be treated
155 as a request to unlock from the start of the requested section with a
159 request will attempt to unlock only the requested section.
161 A potential for deadlock occurs if a process controlling a locked
162 region is put to sleep by attempting to lock the locked region of
164 This implementation detects that sleeping until a
165 locked region is unlocked would cause a deadlock and fails with an
173 locks may be safely used concurrently.
175 Blocking on a section is interrupted by any signal.
180 Otherwise, it returns \-1, sets
182 to indicate an error, and existing locks are not changed.
194 and the section is already locked by another process.
198 is not a valid open file descriptor.
208 is not a valid file descriptor open for writing.
214 and a deadlock is detected.
221 was interrupted by the delivery of a signal.
234 refers to a file that does not support locking.
243 and satisfying the lock or unlock request would result in the number
244 of locked regions in the system exceeding a system-imposed limit.