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docs: add prerequisites, examples, and release info to locks tutorial #1121

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34 changes: 28 additions & 6 deletions content/en/docs/v3.6/tasks/developer/how-to-create-locks.md
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Expand Up @@ -9,17 +9,39 @@ LOCK acquires a distributed mutex with a given name. Once the lock is acquired,
## Prerequisites

* Install [`etcd` and `etcdctl`](https://etcd.io/docs/v3.6/install/)
* A running etcd cluster (see [How to Set Up a Demo etcd Cluster](/docs/v3.6/tasks/operator/how-to-setup-cluster/))
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@jberkus jberkus Mar 4, 2026

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I'd like to see more here for setup. For example, the user will need to have multiple, separate shell sessions with etcdctl clients in order to try this out.


## Creating a lock

`lock` for distributed lock:
Acquire a lock with a specified name:
```shell
etcdctl --endpoints=$ENDPOINTS lock mutex1
```

![08_etcdctl_lock_2016050501](https://storage.googleapis.com/etcd/demo/08_etcdctl_lock_2016050501.gif)
The lock will be held until the command is terminated with `Ctrl+C`.

### Lock with command execution

You can also execute a command while holding the lock:
```shell
etcdctl --endpoints=$ENDPOINTS lock mutex1
etcdctl --endpoints=$ENDPOINTS lock mutex1 echo "Lock acquired"
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@jberkus jberkus Mar 4, 2026

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Hey, this example is wrong, because the original tutorial is wrong. For this form of the lock, you need to actually send etcd a command, like updating a key.

```

### Options
- endpoints - defines a comma-delimited list of machine addresses in the cluster.
- ttl - time out in seconds of lock session.
When using this form, the lock is automatically released after the command completes.

### Visual demonstration

![08_etcdctl_lock_2016050501](https://storage.googleapis.com/etcd/demo/08_etcdctl_lock_2016050501.gif)
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@wendy-ha18 wendy-ha18 Feb 22, 2026

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In general, we don't recommend using GIF formats due to issues with maintainability, large file sizes, and lack of accessibility. Could you please consider explaining the guidance thoroughly in the written content first, and removing the GIF from this section?


## Options

- `--endpoints` - Comma-delimited list of etcd cluster endpoints (default: `http://127.0.0.1:2379`)
- `--ttl` - Time to live in seconds for the lock session (default: 60)

## Releasing a lock

Locks are released in the following ways:

- **Manual release**: Press `Ctrl+C` to terminate the etcdctl lock command
- **Automatic release**: When executing a command with the lock, it is released after the command completes
- **TTL expiration**: The lock automatically expires after the TTL period if not renewed