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Multithreaded Programming Guide     Oracle Solaris 11.1 Information Library
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Document Information

Preface

1.  Covering Multithreading Basics

2.  Basic Threads Programming

3.  Thread Attributes

4.  Programming with Synchronization Objects

5.  Programming With the Oracle Solaris Software

6.  Programming With Oracle Solaris Threads

Comparing APIs for Oracle Solaris Threads and POSIX Threads

Major API Differences

Function Comparison Table

Unique Oracle Solaris Threads Functions

Suspending Thread Execution

thr_suspend Syntax

thr_suspend Return Values

Continuing a Suspended Thread

thr_continue Syntax

thr_continue Return Values

Similar Synchronization Functions: Read-Write Locks

Initialize a Read-Write Lock

rwlock_init Syntax

Initializing Read-Write Locks With Intraprocess Scope

Initializing Read-Write Locks With Interprocess Scope

rwlock_init Return Values

Acquiring a Read Lock

rw_rdlock Syntax

rw_rdlock Return Values

Trying to Acquire a Read Lock

rw_tryrdlock Syntax

rw_tryrdlock Return Values

Acquiring a Write Lock

rw_wrlock Syntax

rw_wrlock Return Values

Trying to Acquire a Write Lock

rw_trywrlock Syntax

rw_trywrlock Return Values

Unlock a Read-Write Lock

rw_unlock Syntax

rw_unlock Return Values

Destroying the Read-Write Lock State

rwlock_destroy Syntax

rwlock_destroy Return Values

Similar Oracle Solaris Threads Functions

Creating a Thread

thr_create Syntax

thr_create Return Values

Getting the Minimal Stack Size

thr_min_stack Syntax

thr_min_stack Return Values

Acquiring the Thread Identifier

thr_self Syntax

thr_self Return Values

Yield Thread Execution

thr_yield Syntax

thr_yield Return Values

Send a Signal to a Thread

thr_kill Syntax

thr_kill Return Values

Access the Signal Mask of the Calling Thread

thr_sigsetmask Syntax

thr_sigsetmask Return Values

Terminate a Thread

thr_exit Syntax

thr_exit Return Values

Wait for Thread Termination

thr_join Syntax

thr_join, Join Specific

thr_join, Join Any

thr_join Return Values

Creating a Thread-Specific Data Key

thr_keycreate Syntax

thr_keycreate Return Values

Setting the Thread-Specific Data Value

thr_setspecific Syntax

thr_setspecific Return Values

Getting the Thread-Specific Data Value

thr_getspecific Syntax

thr_getspecific Return Values

Set the Thread Priority

thr_setprio Syntax

thr_setprio Return Values

Get the Thread Priority

thr_getprio Syntax

thr_getprio Return Values

Similar Synchronization Functions: Mutual Exclusion Locks

Initialize a Mutex

mutex_init(3C) Syntax

Mutexes With Intraprocess Scope

Mutexes With Interprocess Scope

Mutexes With Interprocess Scope-Robust

mutex_init Return Values

Destroy a Mutex

mutex_destroy Syntax

mutex_destroy Return Values

Acquiring a Mutex

mutex_lock Syntax

mutex_lock Return Values

Releasing a Mutex

mutex_unlock Syntax

mutex_unlock Return Values

Trying to Acquire a Mutex

mutex_trylock Syntax

mutex_trylock Return Values

Similar Synchronization Functions: Condition Variables

Initialize a Condition Variable

cond_init Syntax

Condition Variables With Intraprocess Scope

Condition Variables With Interprocess Scope

cond_init Return Values

Destroying a Condition Variable

cond_destroy Syntax

cond_destroy Return Values

Waiting for a Condition

cond_wait Syntax

cond_wait Return Values

Wait for an Absolute Time

cond_timedwait Syntax

cond_timedwait Return Values

Waiting for a Time Interval

cond_reltimedwait Syntax

cond_reltimedwait Return Values

Unblock One Thread

cond_signal Syntax

cond_signal Return Values

Unblock All Threads

cond_broadcast Syntax

cond_broadcast Return Values

Similar Synchronization Functions: Semaphores

Initialize a Semaphore

sema_init Syntax

Semaphores With Intraprocess Scope

Semaphores With Interprocess Scope

sema_init Return Values

Increment a Semaphore

sema_post Syntax

sema_post Return Values

Block on a Semaphore Count

sema_wait Syntax

sema_wait Return Values

Decrement a Semaphore Count

sema_trywait Syntax

sema_trywait Return Values

Destroy the Semaphore State

sema_destroy(3C) Syntax

sema_destroy(3C) Return Values

Synchronizing Across Process Boundaries

Example of Producer and Consumer Problem

Special Issues for fork() and Oracle Solaris Threads

7.  Safe and Unsafe Interfaces

8.  Compiling and Debugging

9.  Programming Guidelines

A.  Extended Example: A Thread Pool Implementation

Index

Similar Synchronization Functions: Mutual Exclusion Locks

Initialize a Mutex

Use mutex_init(3C) to initialize the mutex pointed to by mp. For POSIX threads, see Initializing a Mutex.

mutex_init(3C) Syntax

#include <synch.h> 
#include <thread.h>

int mutex_init(mutex_t *mp, int type, void *arg)); 

The type can be one of the following values.

When a process fails while holding a USYNC_PROCESS lock, subsequent requestors of that lock hang. This behavior is a problem for systems that share locks with client processes because the client processes can be abnormally killed. To avoid the problem of hanging on a lock held by a dead process, use USYNC_PROCESS_ROBUST to lock the mutex. USYNC_PROCESS_ROBUST adds two capabilities:

Mutexes can also be initialized by allocation in zeroed memory, in which case a type of USYNC_THREAD is assumed.

Multiple threads must not initialize the same mutex simultaneously. A mutex lock must not be reinitialized while other threads might be using the mutex.

Mutexes With Intraprocess Scope
#include <thread.h>

mutex_t mp;
int ret;

/* to be used within this process only */
ret = mutex_init(&mp, USYNC_THREAD, 0); 
Mutexes With Interprocess Scope
#include <thread.h>

mutex_t mp;
int ret;

/* to be used among all processes */
ret = mutex_init(&mp, USYNC_PROCESS, 0); 
Mutexes With Interprocess Scope-Robust
#include <thread.h>

mutex_t mp;
int ret;

/* to be used among all processes */
ret = mutex_init(&mp, USYNC_PROCESS_ROBUST, 0); 

mutex_init Return Values

mutex_init() returns 0 if successful. When any of the following conditions is detected, mutex_init() fails and returns the corresponding value.

EFAULT

Description: mp points to an illegal address.

EINVAL

Description: The value specified by mp is invalid.

ENOMEM

Description: System has insufficient memory to initialize the mutex.

EAGAIN

Description: System has insufficient resources to initialize the mutex.

EBUSY

Description: System detected an attempt to reinitialize an active mutex.

Destroy a Mutex

Use mutex_destroy(3C) to destroy any state that is associated with the mutex pointed to by mp . The space for storing the mutex is not freed. For POSIX threads, see pthread_mutex_destroy Syntax.

mutex_destroy Syntax

#include <thread.h>

int mutex_destroy (mutex_t *mp);

mutex_destroy Return Values

mutex_destroy() returns 0 if successful. When the following condition is detected, mutex_destroy() fails and returns the corresponding value.

EFAULT

Description: mp points to an illegal address.

Acquiring a Mutex

Use mutex_lock(3C) to lock the mutex pointed to by mp. When the mutex is already locked, the calling thread blocks until the mutex becomes available. Blocked threads wait on a prioritized queue. For POSIX threads, see pthread_mutex_lock Syntax.

mutex_lock Syntax

#include <thread.h>

int mutex_lock(mutex_t *mp);

mutex_lock Return Values

mutex_lock() returns 0 if successful. When any of the following conditions is detected, mutex_lock() fails and returns the corresponding value.

EFAULT

Description: mp points to an illegal address.

EDEADLK

Description: The mutex is already locked and is owned by the calling thread.

Releasing a Mutex

Use mutex_unlock(3C) to unlock the mutex pointed to by mp. The mutex must be locked. The calling thread must be the thread that last locked the mutex, the owner. For POSIX threads, see pthread_mutex_unlock Syntax.

mutex_unlock Syntax

#include <thread.h>

int mutex_unlock(mutex_t *mp);

mutex_unlock Return Values

mutex_unlock() returns 0 if successful. When any of the following conditions is detected, mutex_unlock() fails and returns the corresponding value.

EFAULT

Description: mp points to an illegal address.

EPERM

Description: The calling thread does not own the mutex.

Trying to Acquire a Mutex

Use mutex_trylock(3C) to attempt to lock the mutex pointed to by mp. This function is a nonblocking version of mutex_lock(). For POSIX threads, see pthread_mutex_trylock Syntax.

mutex_trylock Syntax

#include <thread.h>

int mutex_trylock(mutex_t *mp);

mutex_trylock Return Values

mutex_trylock() returns 0 if successful. When any of the following conditions is detected, mutex_trylock() fails and returns the corresponding value.

EFAULT

Description: mp points to an illegal address.

EBUSY

Description: The system detected an attempt to reinitialize an active mutex.