CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonlinux
Julias
Julias

Reputation: 5892

How to lock /check if locked linux file in python

I need to implement the following functionality

locked = False
while not locked:
    file_path = get_file_path_from_poll()
    locked = try_lock_file(file_path)
    if locked:
       # do some staff
       locked = True
       release_lock(file_path)

How can this be implemented in python? I need to work with Linux files, cause there will be many different processes and each should lock one of the files from some folder

Upvotes: 0

Views: 311

Answers (1)

Rolf of Saxony
Rolf of Saxony

Reputation: 22448

Here are very simplistic examples of using fcntl

https://docs.python.org/3/library/fcntl.html#module-fcntl

The first uses LOCK_NB to avoid blocking, the second doesn't, which means it will block, waiting for file access.

import fcntl
import time
print('Attempting to lock file')
f = open('./locked.txt', 'w')
fcntl.flock(f.fileno(), fcntl.LOCK_EX|fcntl.LOCK_NB)
print ('Lock Acquired')
f.write("some text")

print('Attempting 2nd lock')
f2 = open('./locked.txt', 'r')
f2_locked = False
try:
    fcntl.flock(f2.fileno(), fcntl.LOCK_EX|fcntl.LOCK_NB)
except BlockingIOError:
    print ('The file is Locked 2')
    f2_locked = True

print('Sleeping with file locked')
print('Run this program from another terminal to test')
time.sleep(15)
print('File closed try again')
f.close()
time.sleep(15)

This example blocks, waiting for file access

import fcntl
import time
print('Attempting to lock file')
f = open('./locked.txt', 'w')
fcntl.flock(f.fileno(), fcntl.LOCK_EX)
print ('Lock Acquired')
f.write("some text 2")

print('Sleeping with file locked')
print('Run this program from another terminal to test')
time.sleep(15)
print('File closed try again')
f.close()
time.sleep(15)

Upvotes: 1

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