Clients should lock .tox file

[benwaffle]

Clients should lock the .tox file so that you can't run multiple tox clients on the same profile. Things get buggy if you do that, and I'm guessing you also have the possibility of losing your data.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_locking

[nurupo]

.tox files are not required, so requiring them to be locked doesn't make sense.

[nurupo]

A client is free to store the profile data in any format and in any place on the disk.

[benwaffle]

If a client uses a .tox file in the standard location (e.g. ~/.config/tox/), it should lock it until the program ends

[nurupo]

Ok, now this sounds reasonable.

[benwaffle]

Also, clients should respect locked .tox files (on linux, file locking is advisory, not mandatory)

[GrayHatter]

no I don't think so... 👎

[benwaffle]

So we need to avoid the issue of Windows programs crashing and leaving files locked and unusable by any program until a reboot.

Also, locks should also be advisory and not mandatory because the .tox files need to be read for e.g. displaying a profile chooser

[SkyzohKey]

👍

[Zer0-One]

This sounds reasonable to me.

@JFreegman thoughts?

[GrayHatter]

As discussed in IRC windows doesn't really have an "advisory lock" solution.

And again, as discussed on IRC, renaming the file would be the best/easiest/crossplatform solution.

[Chuongv]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Would like to see the PR for this.

[SkyzohKey]

@GrayHatter How renaming the file would save the issue ? You'll be at a point obliged to rename it back to the original name, and it can produce writing race.

[GrayHatter]

@SkyzohKey what would the race condition be?

[SkyzohKey]

@GrayHatter If you rename the profil before using it without locking it, others clients would still be able to load it and maybe produce issues.