What is lockd?

lockd is a process you might see if your Mac uses NFS file sharing.

What is lockd?

lockd is the NFS lock manager daemon. When several computers share files over NFS (Network File System), lockd prevents clashes by managing file locks. If one computer is editing a file, lockd makes sure another computer cannot change it at the same time.

When does it run?

lockd runs alongside NFS services. If you are using NFS to share or reach files (common with Linux servers, Docker, or Vagrant) then lockd will be active. On a Mac not using NFS, it is not running.

How does it relate to other NFS processes?

NFS uses several daemons that work together:

• nfsd: serves shared files
• lockd: manages file locks
• statd: tracks lock state for crash recovery
• rpcbind: maps RPC services to ports

They work together to provide reliable file sharing over the network.

Do I need it?

Only if you use NFS. Most Mac users share files using SMB (the default in System Settings, then Sharing), which handles locking on its own without lockd.

Should you worry?

No. It is a standard Unix networking daemon. If it is running and you are not using NFS, check whether a development tool like Docker or Vagrant set up NFS mounts.

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