pthread(3) - Manual pages

POSIX threads are a set of functions that support applications with requirements for multiple flows of control, called threads, within a process. Multithreading is used to improve the performance of a program.

The POSIX thread functions are summarized in this section in the following groups:

Thread Routines
Attribute Object Routines
Mutex Routines
Condition Variable Routines
Read/Write Lock Routines
Per-Thread Context Routines
Cleanup Routines

Thread Routines

int pthread_create(pthread_t *thread, const pthread_attr_t *attr, void *(*start_routine)(void *), void *arg);: Creates a new thread of execution.
int pthread_cancel(pthread_t thread): Cancels execution of a thread.
int pthread_detach(pthread_t thread): Marks a thread for deletion.
int pthread_equal(pthread_t t1, pthread_t t2): Compares two thread IDs.
void pthread_exit(void *value_ptr): Terminates the calling thread.
int pthread_join(pthread_t thread, void **value_ptr): Causes the calling thread to wait for the termination of the specified thread.
int pthread_kill(pthread_t thread, int sig): Delivers a signal to a specified thread.
int pthread_once(pthread_once_t *once_control, void (*init_routine)(void)): Calls an initialization routine once.
pthread_t pthread_self(void): Returns the thread ID of the calling thread.
int pthread_setcancelstate(int state, int *oldstate): Sets the current thread's cancelability state.
int pthread_setcanceltype(int type, int *oldtype): Sets the current thread's cancelability type.
void pthread_testcancel(void): Creates a cancellation point in the calling thread.
void pthread_yield(void): Allows the scheduler to run another thread instead of the current one.

Attribute Object Routines

int pthread_attr_destroy(pthread_attr_t *attr): Destroy a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_getinheritsched(const pthread_attr_t *attr, int *inheritsched);: Get the inherit scheduling attribute from a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_getschedparam(const pthread_attr_t *attr, struct sched_param *param);: Get the scheduling parameter attribute from a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_getschedpolicy(const pthread_attr_t *attr, int *policy): Get the scheduling policy attribute from a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_getscope(const pthread_attr_t *attr, int *contentionscope): Get the contention scope attribute from a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_getstacksize(const pthread_attr_t *attr, size_t *stacksize): Get the stack size attribute from a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_getstackaddr(const pthread_attr_t *attr, void **stackaddr): Get the stack address attribute from a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_getdetachstate(const pthread_attr_t *attr, int *detachstate): Get the detach state attribute from a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_init(pthread_attr_t *attr): Initialize a thread attributes object with default values.
int pthread_attr_setinheritsched(pthread_attr_t *attr, int inheritsched): Set the inherit scheduling attribute in a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_setschedparam(pthread_attr_t *attr, const struct sched_param *param);: Set the scheduling parameter attribute in a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_setschedpolicy(pthread_attr_t *attr, int policy): Set the scheduling policy attribute in a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_setscope(pthread_attr_t *attr, int contentionscope): Set the contention scope attribute in a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_setstacksize(pthread_attr_t *attr, size_t stacksize): Set the stack size attribute in a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_setstackaddr(pthread_attr_t *attr, void *stackaddr): Set the stack address attribute in a thread attributes object.
int pthread_attr_setdetachstate(pthread_attr_t *attr, int detachstate): Set the detach state in a thread attributes object.

Mutex Routines

int pthread_mutexattr_destroy(pthread_mutexattr_t *attr): Destroy a mutex attributes object.
int pthread_mutexattr_getprioceiling(const pthread_mutexattr_t *restrict attr, int *restrict ceiling): Obtain priority ceiling attribute of mutex attribute object.
int pthread_mutexattr_getprotocol(const pthread_mutexattr_t *restrict attr, int *restrict protocol): Obtain protocol attribute of mutex attribute object.
int pthread_mutexattr_gettype(const pthread_mutexattr_t *restrict attr, int *restrict type): Obtain the mutex type attribute in the specified mutex attributes object.
int pthread_mutexattr_init(pthread_mutexattr_t *attr): Initialize a mutex attributes object with default values.
int pthread_mutexattr_setprioceiling(pthread_mutexattr_t *attr, int ceiling): Set priority ceiling attribute of mutex attribute object.
int pthread_mutexattr_setprotocol(pthread_mutexattr_t *attr, int protocol): Set protocol attribute of mutex attribute object.
int pthread_mutexattr_settype(pthread_mutexattr_t *attr, int type): Set the mutex type attribute that is used when a mutex is created.
int pthread_mutex_destroy(pthread_mutex_t *mutex): Destroy a mutex.
int pthread_mutex_init(pthread_mutex_t *mutex, const pthread_mutexattr_t *attr);: Initialize a mutex with specified attributes.
int pthread_mutex_lock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex): Lock a mutex and block until it becomes available.
int pthread_mutex_timedlock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex, const struct timespec *abstime);: Lock a mutex and block until it becomes available or until the timeout expires.
int pthread_mutex_trylock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex): Try to lock a mutex, but do not block if the mutex is locked by another thread, including the current thread.
int pthread_mutex_unlock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex): Unlock a mutex.

Condition Variable Routines

int pthread_condattr_destroy(pthread_condattr_t *attr): Destroy a condition variable attributes object.
int pthread_condattr_init(pthread_condattr_t *attr): Initialize a condition variable attributes object with default values.
int pthread_cond_broadcast(pthread_cond_t *cond): Unblock all threads currently blocked on the specified condition variable.
int pthread_cond_destroy(pthread_cond_t *cond): Destroy a condition variable.
int pthread_cond_init(pthread_cond_t *cond, const pthread_condattr_t *attr): Initialize a condition variable with specified attributes.
int pthread_cond_signal(pthread_cond_t *cond): Unblock at least one of the threads blocked on the specified condition variable.
int pthread_cond_timedwait(pthread_cond_t *cond, pthread_mutex_t *mutex, const struct timespec *abstime);: Unlock the specified mutex, wait no longer than the specified time for a condition, and then relock the mutex.
int pthread_cond_wait(pthread_cond_t *, pthread_mutex_t *mutex): Unlock the specified mutex, wait for a condition, and relock the mutex.

Read/Write Lock Routines

int pthread_rwlock_destroy(pthread_rwlock_t *lock): Destroy a read/write lock object.
int pthread_rwlock_init(pthread_rwlock_t *lock, const pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr);: Initialize a read/write lock object.
int pthread_rwlock_rdlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock): Lock a read/write lock for reading, blocking until the lock can be acquired.
int pthread_rwlock_tryrdlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock): Attempt to lock a read/write lock for reading, without blocking if the lock is unavailable.
int pthread_rwlock_trywrlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock): Attempt to lock a read/write lock for writing, without blocking if the lock is unavailable.
int pthread_rwlock_unlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock): Unlock a read/write lock.
int pthread_rwlock_wrlock(pthread_rwlock_t *lock): Lock a read/write lock for writing, blocking until the lock can be acquired.
int pthread_rwlockattr_destroy(pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr): Destroy a read/write lock attribute object.
int pthread_rwlockattr_getpshared(const pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr, int *pshared);: Retrieve the process shared setting for the read/write lock attribute object.
int pthread_rwlockattr_init(pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr): Initialize a read/write lock attribute object.
int pthread_rwlockattr_setpshared(pthread_rwlockattr_t *attr, int pshared): Set the process shared setting for the read/write lock attribute object.

Per-Thread Context Routines

int pthread_key_create(pthread_key_t *key, void (*routine)(void *)): Create a thread-specific data key.
int pthread_key_delete(pthread_key_t key): Delete a thread-specific data key.
void * pthread_getspecific(pthread_key_t key): Get the thread-specific value for the specified key.
int pthread_setspecific(pthread_key_t key, const void *value_ptr): Set the thread-specific value for the specified key.

Cleanup Routines

int pthread_atfork(void (*prepare)(void), void (*parent)(void), void (*child)(void));: Register fork handlers.
void pthread_cleanup_pop(int execute): Remove the routine at the top of the calling thread's cancellation cleanup stack and optionally invoke it.
void pthread_cleanup_push(void (*routine)(void *), void *routine_arg): Push the specified cancellation cleanup handler onto the calling thread's cancellation stack.

IMPLEMENTATION NOTES

The current FreeBSD POSIX thread implementation is built into the library “libthr” library. It contains thread-safe versions of library “libc” functions and the thread functions. Threaded applications are linked with this library.

STANDARDS

The functions with the pthread_ prefix and not _np suffix or pthread_rwlock prefix conform to ISO/IEC 9945-1:1996 (“POSIX.1”).

The functions with the pthread_ prefix and _np suffix are non-portable extensions to POSIX threads.

The functions with the pthread_rwlock prefix are extensions created by The Open Group as part of the Version 2 of the Single UNIX Specification (“SUSv2”).

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