Programming with POSIX® Threads

11 	status = pthread_mutexattr_init (&mutex_attr);
12 	if (status != 0)
13 		err_abort (status, 'Create attr');
14 #ifdef _POSIX_THREAD_PROCESS_SHARED
15 	status = pthread_mutexattr_setpshared (
16 	&mutex_attr, PTHREAD_PROCESS_PRIVATE);
17 	if (status != 0)
18 		err_abort (status, 'Set pshared');
19 #endif
20 	status = pthread_mutex_init (&mutex, &mutex_attr);
21 	if (status != 0)
22 		err_abort (status, 'Init mutex');
23 	return 0;
24 }

5.2.2 Condition variable attributes

pthread_condattr_t attr;

int pthread_condattr_init (pthread_condattr_t *attr);

int pthread_condattr_destroy (

pthread_condattr_t *attr);

#ifdef _POSIX_THREAD_PROCESS_SHARED

int pthread_condattr_getpshared (

pthread_condattr_t *attr, int *pshared);

int pthread_condattr_setpshared (

pthread_condattr_t *attr, int pshared);

#endif

Pthreads defines only one attribute for condition variable creation, pshared. No system is required to implement this attribute, so check the system documentation before using it. You initialize a condition variable attributes object using pthread_condattr_init, specifying a pointer to a variable of type pthread_ condattr_t, as in cond_attr.c, shown next. You use that attributes object by passing its address to pthread_cond_init instead of the NULL value we've been using so far.

If your system defines _POSIX_THREAD_PROCESS_SHARED then it supports the pshared attribute. You set the pshared attribute by calling the function pthread_ condattr_setpshared. If you set the pshared attribute to the value PTHREAD_ PROCESS_SHARED, the condition variable can be used by threads in separate processes that have access to the memory where the condition variable (pthread_ cond_t) is initialized. The default value for this attribute is PTHREAD_PROCESS_PRIVATE.

The cond_attr.c program shows how to set a condition variable attributes object to create a condition variable using the pshared attribute. This example uses the default value, PTHREAD_PROCESS_PRIVATE, to avoid the additional complexity of creating shared memory and forking a process.

¦ cond_attr.c

1 #include <pthread.h>
2 #include 'errors.h'
3
4 pthread_cond_t cond;
5
6 int main (int argc, char *argv[])
7 {
8 	pthread_condattr_t cond_attr;
9 	int status;
10
11 	status = pthread_condattr_init (&cond_attr);
12 	if (status != 0)
13 		err_abort (status, 'Create attr');
14 #ifdef _POSIX_THREAD_PROCESS_SHARED
15 	status = pthread_condattr_setpshared (
16 		&cond_attr, PTHREAD_PROCESS_PRIVATE);
17 	if (status != 0)
18 		err_abort (status, 'Set pshared');
19 #endif
20 	status = pthread_cond_init (&cond, &cond_attr);
21 	if (status != 0)
22 		err_abort (status, 'Init cond');
23 return 0;
24 }

To make use of a PTHREAD_PROCESS_SHARED condition variable, you must also use a PTHREAD_PROCESS_SHARED mutex. That's because two threads that synchronize using a condition variable must also use the same mutex. Waiting for a condition variable automatically unlocks, and then locks, the associated mutex. So if the mutex isn't also created with PTHREAD_PROCESS_SHARED, the synchronization won't work.

5.2.3 Thread attributes

pthread_attr_t attr;

int pthread_attr_init (pthread_attr_t *attr);

int pthread_attr_destroy (pthread_attr_t *attr); int pthread_attr_getdetachstate (pthread_attr_t *attr, int *detachstate);

int pthread_attr_setdetachstate (pthread_attr_t *attr, int detachstate);

#ifdef _POSIX_THREAD_ATTR_STACKSIZE

int pthread_attr_getstacksize (pthread_attr_t *attr, size_t *stacksize);

int pthread_attr_setstacksize (pthread_attr_t *attr, size_t stacksize);

#endif

#ifdef _POSIX_THREAD_ATTR_STACKADDR

int pthread_attr_getstackaddr (pthread_attr_t *attr, void *stackaddr);

int pthread_attr_setstackaddr (pthread_attr_t *attr, void **stackaddr);

#endif

POSIX defines the following attributes for thread creation: detachstate, stack-size, stackaddr, scope, inheritsched, schedpolicy, and schedparam. Some systems won't support all of these attributes, so you need to check the system documentation before using them. You initialize a thread attributes object using pthread_ attr_init, specifying a pointer to a variable of type pthread_attr_t, as in the program thread_attr.c, shown later. You use the attributes object you've created by passing its address as the second argument to pthread_create instead of the NULL value we've been using so far.

All Pthreads systems support the detachstate attribute. The value of this attribute