From bc3a0bab823af1921dbdf2bee89ca4bc75721ef8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: elwrcl <elwerici@proton.me>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 23:26:18 +0300
Subject: [PATCH] feat: single-instance lock and detached background child

---
 src/detach.rs | 71 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 src/lock.rs   | 76 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 src/main.rs   |  2 ++
 3 files changed, 149 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 src/detach.rs
 create mode 100644 src/lock.rs

diff --git a/src/detach.rs b/src/detach.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1eeba77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/detach.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io;
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+
+use crate::lock::Lock;
+
+/// Runs `work` in a forked child that outlives valw, like `wl-copy` does.
+/// The parent returns right away.
+///
+/// The child drops the capture lock (so the next capture isn't blocked) and
+/// points stdio at /dev/null (so `valw ... -o - | x` sees EOF without waiting
+/// for the clipboard to be replaced).
+pub fn spawn(lock: Lock, work: impl FnOnce()) -> Result<()> {
+    lock.release();
+    // SAFETY: valw is single-threaded at this point, and the child only
+    // touches its own state before exiting with _exit.
+    match unsafe { libc::fork() } {
+        -1 => Err(io::Error::last_os_error()).context("could not fork the clipboard server"),
+        0 => {
+            let _ = rustix::process::setsid();
+            let _ = detach_stdio();
+            work();
+            // SAFETY: skips atexit handlers and destructors that belong to the parent.
+            unsafe { libc::_exit(0) }
+        }
+        _ => Ok(()),
+    }
+}
+
+fn detach_stdio() -> io::Result<()> {
+    let null = File::options().read(true).write(true).open("/dev/null")?;
+    rustix::stdio::dup2_stdin(&null)?;
+    rustix::stdio::dup2_stdout(&null)?;
+    rustix::stdio::dup2_stderr(&null)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn child_holds_neither_lock_nor_stdio() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("valw.lock");
+        let lock = Lock::acquire(&path).unwrap();
+        let (report_r, report_w) = rustix::pipe::pipe().unwrap();
+        let (go_r, go_w) = rustix::pipe::pipe().unwrap();
+
+        spawn(lock, move || {
+            // Report whether stdout is /dev/null, then wait for the parent.
+            let null = rustix::fs::stat("/dev/null").unwrap();
+            let out = rustix::fs::fstat(rustix::stdio::stdout()).unwrap();
+            let is_null = out.st_rdev == null.st_rdev && out.st_ino == null.st_ino;
+            rustix::io::write(&report_w, &[is_null as u8]).unwrap();
+            let _ = rustix::io::read(&go_r, &mut [0u8; 1]);
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+
+        // The child is still running, yet the lock is free.
+        Lock::acquire(&path).unwrap();
+
+        let mut is_null = [0u8; 1];
+        rustix::io::read(&report_r, &mut is_null).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(is_null, [1], "child stdout should be /dev/null");
+
+        // Closing our end lets the child exit.
+        drop(go_w);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lock.rs b/src/lock.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0010e90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lock.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, bail};
+use rustix::fs::{FlockOperation, flock};
+use rustix::io::Errno;
+
+use crate::error::HintExt;
+
+/// Held for the whole capture so two captures never overlap. The kernel
+/// drops the lock when the process dies, so a crash can't leave it stuck.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Lock {
+    _file: File,
+}
+
+/// `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/valw.lock`, falling back to the temp dir.
+pub fn default_path() -> PathBuf {
+    std::env::var_os("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR")
+        .map(PathBuf::from)
+        .unwrap_or_else(std::env::temp_dir)
+        .join("valw.lock")
+}
+
+impl Lock {
+    pub fn acquire(path: &Path) -> Result<Lock> {
+        let file = File::options()
+            .create(true)
+            .truncate(false)
+            .write(true)
+            .open(path)
+            .with_context(|| format!("could not open lock file {}", path.display()))?;
+        match flock(&file, FlockOperation::NonBlockingLockExclusive) {
+            Ok(()) => Ok(Lock { _file: file }),
+            Err(Errno::WOULDBLOCK) => Err(anyhow::anyhow!("valw is already running"))
+                .hint("wait for the other capture to finish, or press Esc in it"),
+            Err(e) => {
+                bail!("could not lock {}: {e}", path.display())
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Releases the lock. Must happen before forking, or the child would
+    /// inherit the file and keep the lock held.
+    pub fn release(self) {}
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn second_acquire_fails_until_release() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("valw.lock");
+
+        let first = Lock::acquire(&path).unwrap();
+        let err = Lock::acquire(&path).unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(
+            err.to_string(),
+            "wait for the other capture to finish, or press Esc in it"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(err.root_cause().to_string(), "valw is already running");
+
+        first.release();
+        Lock::acquire(&path).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn stale_lock_file_is_fine() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("valw.lock");
+        File::create(&path).unwrap();
+        Lock::acquire(&path).unwrap();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index d3b6d90..bc7e635 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 #![allow(dead_code)]
 
 mod config;
+mod detach;
 mod error;
+mod lock;
 mod log;
 
 use clap::Parser;