install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install flock

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install flock

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/flock/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add flock

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · flock · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#flock

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/fl/flock/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id FlockFZ.Flock -e

Windows Package Manager source index · FlockFZ.Flock · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Lock file during command

Project links

Commands and aliases

flock

history

Project history and usage

discoteq flock(1) is a portable command-line implementation of the Unix file-locking utility. It exists for systems where the util-linux flock(1) command is absent, inconvenient, or not portable enough.

Project history

The project README explicitly frames the package as an answer to the question of why another flock(1) exists when util-linux already includes one. Its distinguishing goals are support across Linux, Illumos, Darwin, and FreeBSD, testing of major behavior and edge cases, an ISC license, and public source and issue tracking.

The GitHub release history dates the public package line at least to v0.1.1 in 2014, with later v0.2.x releases in 2014 and 2015 and a v0.4.0 release in 2020.

Adoption history

The package is especially relevant on macOS and other non-Linux Unix-like systems because the README gives Homebrew and MacPorts installation paths. The supplied package facts also list Alpine, Nix, and other package-manager entries.

Its adoption pattern is practical rather than framework-driven: shell scripts, cron jobs, backups, and deploy tasks use flock to serialize work with a lock file.

How it is used

The common usage is to run flock with a lock-file path followed by a command, such as protecting an echo or rsync invocation so only one instance proceeds at a time.

Because it is a small system utility, its value is in predictable process coordination from shell scripts without embedding lock handling into each script.

Why package nerds care

For package maintainers, discoteq flock is a good example of packaging a small compatibility utility to make Unix scripts more portable across distributions and operating systems.

It matters in package-manager culture because the command name overlaps with a util-linux tool: correct formula naming, conflict handling, and platform behavior are the interesting parts, not a large dependency graph.

Timeline

2014: Public GitHub releases include v0.1.1 and v0.2.0.
2015: The v0.2.x release series continues.
2020: v0.4.0 is released with source tarball installation instructions referenced by the README.

Related projects

util-linux provides the well-known Linux flock(1) implementation that this project compares itself with.
bats-core is used by the project test suite.

Sources

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for flock. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`flock`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version0.4.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/discoteq/flock

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/discoteq/flocknone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:flock
Version	0.4.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/flock
Homepage	https://github.com/discoteq/flock
Repository	https://github.com/discoteq/flock
Upstream docs	https://github.com/discoteq/flock#readme
License	ISC
Source archive	https://github.com/discoteq/flock/releases/download/v0.4.0/flock-0.4.0.tar.xz
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	flock
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

flock

nix profile install nixpkgs#flock

normalized package name match
Matched by: Flock

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fl/flock/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

apk95%

flock 2.42-r0

File locker from util-linux

https://git.kernel.org/cgit/utils/util-linux/util-linux.git

sudo apk add flock

License: MIT
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: util-linux
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Flock

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: flock from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

flock

sudo port install flock

normalized package name match
Matched by: Flock

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/flock/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

winget95%

FlockFZ.Flock

winget install --id FlockFZ.Flock -e

normalized package name match
Matched by: Flock

Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: FlockFZ.Flock from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/flock.yml

Used sources

Nucleus package database
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install flock with Homebrew, apk, MacPorts, Nix, winget