1 .\" $NetBSD: lockf.3,v 1.10 2008/04/30 13:10:50 martin 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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30 .\" $FreeBSD: src/lib/libc/gen/lockf.3,v 1.14 2009/03/04 01:01:26 delphij Exp $
37 .Nd record locking on files
43 .Fn lockf "int fildes" "int function" "off_t size"
47 function allows sections of a file to be locked with advisory-mode locks.
50 from other processes which attempt to lock the locked file section will
51 either return an error value or block until the section becomes unlocked.
52 All of the locks for a process are removed when the process terminates.
56 is an open file descriptor.
57 The file descriptor must have been opened either for write-only
65 argument is a control value which specifies the action to be taken.
66 The permissible values for
69 .Bl -tag -width F_ULOCKXX -compact -offset indent
73 unlock locked sections
75 lock a section for exclusive use
77 test and lock a section for exclusive use
79 test a section for locks by other processes
83 removes locks from a section of the file;
87 both lock a section of a file if the section is available;
89 detects if a lock by another process is present on the specified section.
93 argument is the number of contiguous bytes to be locked or
95 The section to be locked or unlocked starts at the current
96 offset in the file and extends forward for a positive size or backward
97 for a negative size (the preceding bytes up to but not including the
99 However, it is not permitted to lock a section that
100 starts or extends before the beginning of the file.
103 is 0, the section from the current offset through the largest possible
104 file offset is locked (that is, from the current offset through the
105 present or any future end-of-file).
107 The sections locked with
111 may, in whole or in part, contain or be contained by a previously
112 locked section for the same process.
113 When this occurs, or if adjacent
114 locked sections would occur, the sections are combined into a single
116 If the request would cause the number of locks to
117 exceed a system-imposed limit, the request will fail.
122 requests differ only by the action taken if the section is not
125 blocks the calling process until the section is available.
127 makes the function fail if the section is already locked by another
130 File locks are released on first close by the locking process of any
131 file descriptor for the file.
134 requests release (wholly or in part) one or more locked sections
135 controlled by the process.
136 Locked sections will be unlocked starting
137 at the current file offset through
139 bytes or to the end of file if size is 0.
140 When all of a locked section
141 is not released (that is, when the beginning or end of the area to be
142 unlocked falls within a locked section), the remaining portions of
143 that section are still locked by the process.
145 portion of a locked section will cause the remaining locked beginning
146 and end portions to become two separate locked sections.
148 request would cause the number of locks in the system to exceed a
149 system-imposed limit, the request will fail.
153 request in which size is non-zero and the offset of the last byte of
154 the requested section is the maximum value for an object of type
155 off_t, when the process has an existing lock in which size is 0 and
156 which includes the last byte of the requested section, will be treated
157 as a request to unlock from the start of the requested section with a
161 request will attempt to unlock only the requested section.
163 A potential for deadlock occurs if a process controlling a locked
164 region is put to sleep by attempting to lock the locked region of
166 This implementation detects that sleeping until a
167 locked region is unlocked would cause a deadlock and fails with an
176 locks are compatible.
177 Processes using different locking interfaces can cooperate
178 over the same file safely.
179 However, only one of such interfaces should be used within
181 If a file is locked by a process through
183 any record within the file will be seen as locked
184 from the viewpoint of another process using
190 Blocking on a section is interrupted by any signal.
193 In the case of a failure, existing locks are not changed.
207 and the section is already locked by another process.
211 is not a valid open file descriptor.
221 is not a valid file descriptor open for writing.
227 and a deadlock is detected.
234 was interrupted by the delivery of a signal.
247 refers to a file that does not support advisory locking.
256 and satisfying the lock or unlock request would result in the number
257 of locked regions in the system exceeding a system-imposed limit.
261 refers to a socket; these do not support advisory locking.