explain_flock_or_die(3)

💖 explain_flock_or_die — the manual page, but make it cute 💖

okay so bestie, you're in the explain_flock_or_die(3) page, and it lives in the Library Functions Manual. it's giving "lock your files, but make it dramatic" energy. let's go ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

explain_flock_or_die — control advisory lock on open file and report errors 🎀

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <libexplain/flock.h>
void explain_flock_or_die(int fildes, int command);
int explain_flock_on_error(int fildes, int command))

(yeah the extra ) at the end is just sitting there, no cap — that's literally what the page says, we don't touch it 💅)

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so. there are two little functions here and they are siblings but with very different coping mechanisms, bestie 😭

The explain_flock_or_die function is used to call the flock(2) system call. If it fails, an explanation gets printed to stderr, and that explanation comes from the explain_flock(3) function — and then the process terminates by calling exit(EXIT_FAILURE). so yeah, it does not come back. it's giving main character exit, periodt 💀

The explain_flock_on_error function is also used to call the flock(2) system call. On failure an explanation will be printed to stderr, obtained from the explain_flock(3) function, but it still returns to the caller. so it's the emotionally stable sibling 🫶

• fildes — the fildes, exactly as to be passed to the flock(2) system call.
• command — the command, exactly as to be passed to the flock(2) system call.

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🌈 RETURN VALUE 🌈

• The explain_flock_or_die function only returns on success, see flock(2) for more information. On failure, it prints an explanation and exits — it does not return. nope. gone. not coming back 👋
• The explain_flock_on_error function always returns the value return by the wrapped flock(2) system call.

⭐ lowkey important: if you were waiting for explain_flock_or_die to hand you a return value on the failure path… she's not coming. that's the whole bit.

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🍓 EXAMPLE 🍓

The explain_flock_or_die function is intended to be used in a fashion similar to the following example:

explain_flock_or_die(fildes, command);

short, sweet, iconic. that's the whole vibe 👑

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• flock(2) — apply or remove an advisory lock on an open file
• explain_flock(3) — explain flock(2) errors
• exit(2) — terminate the calling process

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🎀 COPYRIGHT 🎀

libexplain version 1.4 Copyright (C) 2009 Peter Miller

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and that's the whole page bestie — libexplain version 1.4, Copyright (C) 2009 Peter Miller, and yeah we're closing out on explain_flock_or_die(3) because that's where the page ends 💖✨🦋