flock:tldr:f8354

flock: Run a command with a file lock, and exit if the lock doesn't exist.

flock

$ flock ${path-to-lock-lock} --nonblock --command "${command}"

try on your machine

The flock command is used to manage locks on files and directories. It ensures that multiple processes or scripts do not access the same resource simultaneously. Here is an explanation of the given command:

${path-to-lock-lock}: This is a variable representing the path to the lock file. It specifies the file or directory to be locked.
--nonblock: This option makes the flock command non-blocking. If the lock cannot be acquired immediately, it will not wait for it and will exit immediately.
--command "${command}": This option specifies the command to be executed while holding the lock. The ${command} variable should contain the desired command enclosed in double quotes.

So, when the command is executed, it will attempt to acquire the lock using the specified lock file path. If the lock is acquired successfully, it will execute the command specified within ${command}. If the lock cannot be acquired immediately, it will exit without waiting.

This explanation was created by an AI. In most cases those are correct. But please always be careful and never run a command you are not sure if it is safe.

back to the flock tool