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threads-linux

The document provides an overview of POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux, detailing shared and thread-specific resources, thread creation and termination functions, and synchronization mechanisms. It emphasizes the importance of proper thread management, including the use of pthread_exit and pthread_join functions. Additionally, it highlights the distinction between thread safety and reentrancy in functions, along with useful resources for further learning.

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11 views

threads-linux

The document provides an overview of POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux, detailing shared and thread-specific resources, thread creation and termination functions, and synchronization mechanisms. It emphasizes the importance of proper thread management, including the use of pthread_exit and pthread_join functions. Additionally, it highlights the distinction between thread safety and reentrancy in functions, along with useful resources for further learning.

Uploaded by

vamah16794
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Recap

Shared resources
Code, global data
Open files, current working directory
Credentials

Thread-specific resources
Thread ID
Registers, stack
Priority
errno (error codes)

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 1/9


Thread creation

#include <pthread.h>

int pthread_create(pthread_t *thread,


const pthread_attr_t *attr,
void *(*start_routine) (void *),
void *arg);

First argument must contain address of valid, writable location.


Types (pthread_t, pthread_attr_t) are opaque, i.e., fields are not
known / cannot be accessed.
Compiling: gcc -pthread ... OR gcc ... -lpthread

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 2/9


Thread termination

By calling pthread_exit(void *retval)


By returning from start_routine()
equivalent to implicit call to pthread_exit() (for all threads other than
the thread in which main() was first invoked)
return value of start_routine() ≡ thread’s exit status
‡

By cancelling (killing) using pthread_cancel()


When any thread calls exit() or exec() 
When ‘main’ thread returns from main(), all threads in process


without calling pthread_exit()  terminate

If ‘main’ thread calls pthread_exit(), process exits with status 0


after termination of last thread

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 3/9


Thread termination

void pthread_exit(void *retval);

retval : return value


NOTE : avoid dangling pointers
The value pointed to by retval should not be located on the call-
ing thread’s stack, since the contents of that stack are undefined
after the thread terminates.
— from the man page

Does not release any application visible process resources,


i.e., does not release mutexes, close open files, etc.

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 4/9


Other useful functions

int pthread_join(pthread_t tid, void **thread_return);

tid : calling thread suspended until thread tid terminates


thread_return : if not NULL, return value of tid is stored in location
pointed to by thread_return
analogous to wait()

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 5/9


Other useful functions

int pthread_join(pthread_t tid, void **thread_return);

tid : calling thread suspended until thread tid terminates


thread_return : if not NULL, return value of tid is stored in location
pointed to by thread_return
analogous to wait()

pthread_t pthread_self(void);

// return "TRUE" if equal


int pthread_equal(pthread_t tid1, pthread_t tid2);

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 5/9


Misc. information

Linux-specific; obtained from Internet sources, subject to confirmation.

1:1 correspondence between each pthread and a kernel thread


many-to-many correspondence: Solaris, Windows 7
many-to-one correspondence: user-level threads
Thread ID unique only in context of a single process
fork() duplicates only calling thread
exec() from any thread stops all threads in parent process

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 6/9


Synchronisation

pthread_mutex_t initialised_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER,


uninitalised_mutex;

int pthread_mutex_init(pthread_mutex_t *uninitialised_mutex,


const pthread_mutexattr_t *mutexattr);

int pthread_mutex_lock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex);

int pthread_mutex_trylock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex);

int pthread_mutex_unlock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex);

pthread_mutex_trylock
if mutex is unlocked, locks mutex
if mutex is locked, returns error code EBUSY (does not block)

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 7/9


Thread safe / reentrant functions

Some functions use static or global variables to save state information


across calls, e.g., strtok()
⇒ non-thread safe / non re-entrant
Thread safe versions: strtok_r()

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 8/9


Useful websites

Recommended: https://computing.llnl.gov/tutorials/pthreads/
http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/LinuxTutorialPosixThreads.html
Oracle’s multithreaded programming guide
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E18752_01/html/816-5137/toc.html
http://people.cs.pitt.edu/~melhem/courses/xx45p/pthread.pdf
https://randu.org/tutorials/threads/
Simple examples:
https://linuxprograms.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/
threads-programming-in-linux-examples/

M. Mitra (ISI) POSIX threads (pthreads) in Linux 9/9

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