[PATCH] lockfile: add PID file for debugging stale locks
From: Paulo Casaretto via GitGitGadget <hidden>
Date: 2025-12-02 15:07:30
Subsystem:
documentation, the rest · Maintainers:
Jonathan Corbet, Linus Torvalds
From: Paulo Casaretto <redacted>
When a lock file is held, it can be helpful to know which process owns
it, especially when debugging stale locks left behind by crashed
processes. Add an optional feature that creates a companion .lock.pid
file alongside each lock file, containing the PID of the lock holder.
The .lock.pid file is created when a lock is acquired (if enabled), and
automatically cleaned up when the lock is released (via commit or
rollback). The file is registered as a tempfile so it gets cleaned up
by signal and atexit handlers if the process terminates abnormally.
When a lock conflict occurs, the code checks if the PID from the .pid
file is still running using kill(pid, 0). This allows providing
context-aware error messages. With PID info enabled:
Lock is held by process 12345. Wait for it to finish, or remove
the lock file to continue.
Or for a stale lock:
Lock was held by process 12345, which is no longer running.
Remove the stale lock file to continue.
Without PID info (default):
Another git process seems to be running in this repository.
Wait for it to finish, or remove the lock file to continue.
The feature is opt-in via GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO=1 environment variable.
Signed-off-by: Paulo Casaretto <redacted>
---
lockfile: add holder info file for debugging stale locks
Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-2011%2Fpcasaretto%2Fpid-holder-file-v1
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-2011/pcasaretto/pid-holder-file-v1
Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/2011
Documentation/git.adoc | 10 ++++
lockfile.c | 109 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---
lockfile.h | 21 +++++---
t/meson.build | 1 +
t/t0031-lockfile-pid.sh | 73 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
5 files changed, 199 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)
create mode 100755 t/t0031-lockfile-pid.sh
diff --git a/Documentation/git.adoc b/Documentation/git.adoc
index ce099e78b8..6fdd509d34 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git.adoc@@ -1010,6 +1010,16 @@ be in the future). the background which do not want to cause lock contention with other operations on the repository. Defaults to `1`. +`GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO`:: + If this Boolean environment variable is set to `1`, Git will create + a `.lock.pid` file alongside each lock file containing the PID of the + process that created the lock. This information is displayed in error + messages when a lock conflict occurs, making it easier to identify + stale locks or debug locking issues. The PID files are automatically + cleaned up via signal and atexit handlers; however, if a process is + terminated abnormally (e.g., SIGKILL), the file may remain as a stale + indicator. Disabled by default. + `GIT_REDIRECT_STDIN`:: `GIT_REDIRECT_STDOUT`:: `GIT_REDIRECT_STDERR`::
diff --git a/lockfile.c b/lockfile.c
index 1d5ed01682..4a694b9c3d 100644
--- a/lockfile.c
+++ b/lockfile.c@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ #include "abspath.h" #include "gettext.h" #include "lockfile.h" +#include "parse.h" +#include "strbuf.h" +#include "wrapper.h" /* * path = absolute or relative path name
@@ -71,6 +74,62 @@ static void resolve_symlink(struct strbuf *path) strbuf_reset(&link); } +/* + * Lock PID file functions - write PID to a .lock.pid file alongside + * the lock file for debugging stale locks. The PID file is registered + * as a tempfile so it gets cleaned up by signal/atexit handlers. + */ + +static int lock_pid_info_enabled(void) +{ + return git_env_bool(GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO_ENVIRONMENT, 0); +} + +static struct tempfile *create_lock_pid_file(const char *lock_path, int mode) +{ + struct strbuf pid_path = STRBUF_INIT; + struct strbuf content = STRBUF_INIT; + struct tempfile *pid_tempfile = NULL; + int fd; + + if (!lock_pid_info_enabled()) + return NULL; + + strbuf_addf(&pid_path, "%s%s", lock_path, LOCK_PID_SUFFIX); + fd = open(pid_path.buf, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC, mode); + if (fd >= 0) { + strbuf_addf(&content, "%"PRIuMAX"\n", (uintmax_t)getpid()); + if (write_in_full(fd, content.buf, content.len) < 0) + warning_errno(_("could not write lock pid file '%s'"), + pid_path.buf); + close(fd); + pid_tempfile = register_tempfile(pid_path.buf); + } + strbuf_release(&content); + strbuf_release(&pid_path); + return pid_tempfile; +} + +static int read_lock_pid(const char *lock_path, uintmax_t *pid_out) +{ + struct strbuf pid_path = STRBUF_INIT; + struct strbuf content = STRBUF_INIT; + int ret = -1; + + strbuf_addf(&pid_path, "%s%s", lock_path, LOCK_PID_SUFFIX); + if (strbuf_read_file(&content, pid_path.buf, LOCK_PID_MAXLEN) > 0) { + char *endptr; + *pid_out = strtoumax(content.buf, &endptr, 10); + if (*pid_out > 0 && (*endptr == '\n' || *endptr == '\0')) + ret = 0; + else + warning(_("malformed lock pid file '%s'"), pid_path.buf); + } + strbuf_release(&pid_path); + strbuf_release(&content); + return ret; +} + /* Make sure errno contains a meaningful value on error */ static int lock_file(struct lock_file *lk, const char *path, int flags, int mode)
@@ -80,9 +139,12 @@ static int lock_file(struct lock_file *lk, const char *path, int flags, strbuf_addstr(&filename, path); if (!(flags & LOCK_NO_DEREF)) resolve_symlink(&filename); - strbuf_addstr(&filename, LOCK_SUFFIX); + lk->tempfile = create_tempfile_mode(filename.buf, mode); + if (lk->tempfile) + lk->pid_tempfile = create_lock_pid_file(filename.buf, mode); + strbuf_release(&filename); return lk->tempfile ? lk->tempfile->fd : -1; }
@@ -151,13 +213,36 @@ static int lock_file_timeout(struct lock_file *lk, const char *path, void unable_to_lock_message(const char *path, int err, struct strbuf *buf) { if (err == EEXIST) { - strbuf_addf(buf, _("Unable to create '%s.lock': %s.\n\n" - "Another git process seems to be running in this repository, e.g.\n" - "an editor opened by 'git commit'. Please make sure all processes\n" - "are terminated then try again. If it still fails, a git process\n" - "may have crashed in this repository earlier:\n" - "remove the file manually to continue."), - absolute_path(path), strerror(err)); + struct strbuf lock_path = STRBUF_INIT; + uintmax_t pid; + int pid_status = 0; /* 0 = unknown, 1 = running, -1 = stale */ + + strbuf_addf(&lock_path, "%s%s", absolute_path(path), LOCK_SUFFIX); + + strbuf_addf(buf, _("Unable to create '%s': %s.\n\n"), + lock_path.buf, strerror(err)); + + if (lock_pid_info_enabled() && + !read_lock_pid(lock_path.buf, &pid)) { + if (kill((pid_t)pid, 0) == 0) + pid_status = 1; + else + pid_status = -1; + } + + if (pid_status == 1) + strbuf_addf(buf, _("Lock is held by process %"PRIuMAX". " + "Wait for it to finish, or remove the lock file to continue"), + pid); + else if (pid_status == -1) + strbuf_addf(buf, _("Lock was held by process %"PRIuMAX", " + "which is no longer running. Remove the stale lock file to continue"), + pid); + else + strbuf_addstr(buf, _("Another git process seems to be running in this repository. " + "Wait for it to finish, or remove the lock file to continue")); + + strbuf_release(&lock_path); } else strbuf_addf(buf, _("Unable to create '%s.lock': %s"), absolute_path(path), strerror(err));
@@ -207,6 +292,8 @@ int commit_lock_file(struct lock_file *lk) { char *result_path = get_locked_file_path(lk); + delete_tempfile(&lk->pid_tempfile); + if (commit_lock_file_to(lk, result_path)) { int save_errno = errno; free(result_path);
@@ -216,3 +303,9 @@ int commit_lock_file(struct lock_file *lk) free(result_path); return 0; } + +int rollback_lock_file(struct lock_file *lk) +{ + delete_tempfile(&lk->pid_tempfile); + return delete_tempfile(&lk->tempfile); +}
diff --git a/lockfile.h b/lockfile.h
index 1bb9926497..b2d5a1bc6c 100644
--- a/lockfile.h
+++ b/lockfile.h@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ struct lock_file { struct tempfile *tempfile; + struct tempfile *pid_tempfile; }; #define LOCK_INIT { 0 }
@@ -127,6 +128,15 @@ struct lock_file { #define LOCK_SUFFIX ".lock" #define LOCK_SUFFIX_LEN 5 +/* Suffix for PID file that stores PID of lock holder: */ +#define LOCK_PID_SUFFIX ".pid" +#define LOCK_PID_SUFFIX_LEN 4 + +/* Maximum length for PID file content */ +#define LOCK_PID_MAXLEN 32 + +/* Environment variable to enable lock PID info (default: disabled) */ +#define GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO" /* * Flags
@@ -319,13 +329,10 @@ static inline int commit_lock_file_to(struct lock_file *lk, const char *path) /* * Roll back `lk`: close the file descriptor and/or file pointer and - * remove the lockfile. It is a NOOP to call `rollback_lock_file()` - * for a `lock_file` object that has already been committed or rolled - * back. No error will be returned in this case. + * remove the lockfile and any associated PID file. It is a NOOP to + * call `rollback_lock_file()` for a `lock_file` object that has already + * been committed or rolled back. No error will be returned in this case. */ -static inline int rollback_lock_file(struct lock_file *lk) -{ - return delete_tempfile(&lk->tempfile); -} +int rollback_lock_file(struct lock_file *lk); #endif /* LOCKFILE_H */
diff --git a/t/meson.build b/t/meson.build
index dc43d69636..9a880db57c 100644
--- a/t/meson.build
+++ b/t/meson.build@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ integration_tests = [ 't0028-working-tree-encoding.sh', 't0029-core-unsetenvvars.sh', 't0030-stripspace.sh', + 't0031-lockfile-pid.sh', 't0033-safe-directory.sh', 't0034-root-safe-directory.sh', 't0035-safe-bare-repository.sh',
diff --git a/t/t0031-lockfile-pid.sh b/t/t0031-lockfile-pid.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..3c1e9bf60e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t0031-lockfile-pid.sh@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@ +#!/bin/sh + +test_description='lock file PID info tests + +Tests for PID info file alongside lock files. +The feature is opt-in via GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO=1. +' + +. ./test-lib.sh + +test_expect_success 'stale lock detected when PID is not running' ' + git init repo && + ( + cd repo && + touch .git/index.lock && + echo "99999" >.git/index.lock.pid && + test_must_fail env GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO=1 git add . 2>err && + test_grep "process 99999, which is no longer running" err && + test_grep "Remove the stale lock file" err + ) +' + +test_expect_success 'PID info not shown by default' ' + git init repo2 && + ( + cd repo2 && + touch .git/index.lock && + echo "99999" >.git/index.lock.pid && + test_must_fail git add . 2>err && + # Should not crash, just show normal error without PID + test_grep "Unable to create" err && + ! test_grep "is held by process" err + ) +' + +test_expect_success 'running process detected when PID is alive' ' + git init repo3 && + ( + cd repo3 && + echo content >file && + # Create a lock and PID file with current shell PID (which is running) + touch .git/index.lock && + echo $$ >.git/index.lock.pid && + # Verify our PID is shown in the error message + test_must_fail env GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO=1 git add file 2>err && + test_grep "held by process $$" err + ) +' + +test_expect_success 'PID info file cleaned up on successful operation when enabled' ' + git init repo4 && + ( + cd repo4 && + echo content >file && + env GIT_LOCK_PID_INFO=1 git add file && + # After successful add, no lock or PID files should exist + ! test -f .git/index.lock && + ! test -f .git/index.lock.pid + ) +' + +test_expect_success 'no PID file created by default' ' + git init repo5 && + ( + cd repo5 && + echo content >file && + git add file && + # PID file should not be created when feature is disabled + ! test -f .git/index.lock.pid + ) +' + +test_done
base-commit: 6ab38b7e9cc7adafc304f3204616a4debd49c6e9 -- gitgitgadget