Socket_Singleton
A lightweight Python library for reliably enforcing single-instance applications without lockfiles or OS-specific primitives.
Socket_Singleton is a small, dependency-free Python library that enforces single-instance execution of an application using a cross-platform socket-binding approach. Useful in desktop apps, Python CLIs, or any tool that needs process exclusivity.
Unlike lockfile or OS-specific mutex solutions, it provides a clean, predictable mechanism that works consistently across platforms and supports forwarding arguments from subsequent launch attempts back to the primary process.
This module sees steady, organic usage on PyPI and is used in real applications. The project overall reflects my preference for simple, explicit solutions to recurring systems problems- aligned with Python's philosophy that there should be one clear, obvious way to do something.
pip install socket_singletonI treat package download numbers cautiously- there's a lot of automated traffic on registries like PyPI, but what mattered to me was designing a solution I'd be comfortable maintaining and reusing myself. The fact that it's been picked up organically by other developers was a good signal that the API and approach resonated.