with-lock-ex \- file locker
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B with-lock-ex
-.RB [\| \-w \||\| \-q \||\| \-f \|]
+.BR \-w \||\| \-q \||\| \-f
.I lockfile command
.IR args \ \|.\|.\|.
.br
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B \-w
-wait for the lock
+Wait for the lock to be available.
.TP
.B \-f
-fail if the lock cannot be acquired
+Fail (printing a message to stderr and exiting 255) if the lock cannot
+be acquired immediately because another process has it.
.TP
.B \-q
-silently do nothing (ie, exit 0 instead of executing the specified
-process) if the lock cannot be acquired
+Silently do nothing (ie, exit 0 instead of executing the specified
+process) if the lock cannot be acquired immediately because another
+process has it.
.SH STALE LOCKS
The locking protocol used does not suffer from stale locks. If the
lock cannot be acquired, one or more running processes must currently
and enhanced by Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk>, in 2003, but
may be used by anyone.
.SH COPYRIGHT
-with-lock-ex was written by Ian Jackons <ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk>
+with-lock-ex was written by Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk>
in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999. He has placed it in the public
domain.
.SH "SEE ALSO"