# Install liblockfile with Homebrew, apk, dnf, Nix, pacman, apt, zypper Library providing functions to lock standard mailboxes. Version 1.17 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install liblockfile-bin. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:liblockfile ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install liblockfile ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add liblockfile ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: liblockfile from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install liblockfile ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: liblockfile from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#liblockfile ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/liblockfile/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S liblockfile ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: liblockfile from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install liblockfile-bin ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: liblockfile-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install liblockfile-devel ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: liblockfile-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:liblockfile - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 1.17 - **Source summary:** Library providing functions to lock standard mailboxes - **Homepage:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - dotlockfile (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 1.17 ## Project history and usage liblockfile is a small Unix system library and utility package for creating NFS-safe lockfiles, especially the dot-lock files traditionally used to protect mailboxes in /var/mail. ### Project history The upstream README describes liblockfile as an implementation of functions found in -lmail on SysV systems, extended with functions to create, manage, and remove generic lockfiles. Its locking algorithm uses a temporary file and link(2) to create lockfiles atomically, including workarounds for NFS server behavior. The dotlockfile utility is documented as a command-line tool to create, test, touch, and remove lockfiles. Its name comes from the traditional mailbox convention of appending .lock to the mailbox path. ### Adoption history liblockfile has a long Debian packaging history and remains represented as Debian source package liblockfile, producing liblockfile-bin, liblockfile-dev, and liblockfile1. Its practical audience is mail tools, shell scripts, and legacy Unix software that need interoperable dot-locking rather than newer advisory-lock APIs. ### How it is used The library is used by programs that need NFS-safe lock creation. The dotlockfile command is used directly in scripts or as the setgid mail helper that lets mailbox-locking programs avoid carrying setgid mail themselves. ### Why package nerds care liblockfile is interesting because it packages an old but still sharp Unix portability problem: locking mail spools safely across local and NFS filesystems. It is small, unglamorous infrastructure that explains why some packages still ship helpers for mail-era filesystem semantics. ### Timeline - 2011: Changelog entry for liblockfile 1.09 recorded Debian bug fixes and cross-build cleanup. - 2016: Upstream GitHub repository created on November 22, 2016. - 2017: dotlockfile manual page dated January 10, 2017. - 2019: liblockfile 1.16 simplified permission checking and quiet-mode behavior. - 2021: liblockfile 1.17 added dotlockfile -P and -i options. ### Related projects - The README names procmail, exim, and mutt as compatible NFS-safe lockfile users. - Debian packaging is maintained separately at the liblockfile-debian repository. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - liblockfile-bin - 1.17-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: liblockfile-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | support binaries for and cli utilities based on liblockfile | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - Debian apt - liblockfile-dev - 1.17-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: liblockfile-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Development library for liblockfile | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - Debian apt - liblockfile1 - 1.17-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: liblockfile1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | NFS-safe locking library | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - Nix - liblockfile: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/liblockfile/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - liblockfile-bin - 1.17-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: liblockfile-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | support binaries for and cli utilities based on liblockfile | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - Ubuntu apt - liblockfile-dev - 1.17-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: liblockfile-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Development library for liblockfile | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - Ubuntu apt - liblockfile1 - 1.17-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: liblockfile1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | NFS-safe locking library | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - apk - liblockfile - 1.17-r4: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: liblockfile from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Shared library with NFS-safe locking functions | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - apk - liblockfile-dev - 1.17-r4: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: liblockfile-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Shared library with NFS-safe locking functions (development files) | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - apk - liblockfile-doc - 1.17-r4: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: liblockfile-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Shared library with NFS-safe locking functions (documentation) | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - apk - liblockfile-static - 1.17-r4: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: liblockfile-static from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Shared library with NFS-safe locking functions (static library) | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - dnf - liblockfile - 1.17-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: liblockfile from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | This implements a number of functions found in -lmail on SysV systems | http://packages.qa.debian.org/libl/liblockfile.html - dnf - liblockfile-devel - 1.17-13.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: liblockfile-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for liblockfile | http://packages.qa.debian.org/libl/liblockfile.html - pacman - liblockfile - 1.17_2-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: liblockfile from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | a library with NFS-safe locking functions | https://packages.debian.org/unstable/libs/liblockfile1 - zypper - liblockfile-devel - 1.17-1.12: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: liblockfile-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Development files for liblockfile | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile - zypper - liblockfile1 - 1.17-1.12: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: liblockfile1 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Library with NFS-safe locking functions | https://github.com/miquels/liblockfile ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/liblockfile.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/liblockfile.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph