Locking a Mutex

Use pthread_mutex_lock(3C) to lock the mutex pointed to by mutex.

pthread_mutex_lock Syntax

int  pthread_mutex_lock(pthread_mutex_t *mutex); 

#include <pthread.h>

pthread_mutex_t mutex;
int ret;

ret = pthread_ mutex_lock(&mp); /* acquire the mutex */

When pthread_mutex_lock() returns, the mutex is locked. The calling thread is the owner. If the mutex is already locked and owned by another thread, the calling thread blocks until the mutex becomes available.

If the mutex type is PTHREAD_MUTEX_NORMAL , deadlock detection is not provided. Attempting to relock the mutex causes deadlock. If a thread attempts to unlock a mutex not locked by the thread or a mutex that is unlocked, undefined behavior results.

If the mutex type is PTHREAD_MUTEX_ERRORCHECK , then error checking is provided. If a thread attempts to relock a mutex that the thread has already locked, an error is returned. If a thread attempts to unlock a mutex not locked by the thread or a mutex that is unlocked, an error is returned.

If the mutex type is PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE , then the mutex maintains the concept of a lock count. When a thread successfully acquires a mutex for the first time, the lock count is set to 1. Every time a thread relocks this mutex, the lock count is incremented by 1. Every time the thread unlocks the mutex, the lock count is decremented by 1. When the lock count reaches 0, the mutex becomes available for other threads to acquire. If a thread attempts to unlock a mutex not locked by the thread or a mutex that is unlocked, an error is returned.

The mutex type PTHREAD_MUTEX_DEFAULT is the same as PTHREAD_MUTEX_NORMAL.

pthread_mutex_lock Return Values

pthread_mutex_lock() returns zero after completing successfully. Any other return value indicates that an error occurred. When any of the following conditions occurs, the function fails and returns the corresponding value.

EAGAIN

Description:

The mutex could not be acquired because the maximum number of recursive locks for mutex has been exceeded.

EDEADLK

Description:

The current thread already owns the mutex.

If the mutex was initialized with the PTHREAD_MUTEX_ROBUST_NProbustness attribute, pthread_mutex_lock() may return one of the following values:

EOWNERDEAD

Description:

The last owner of this mutex terminated while holding the mutex. This mutex is now owned by the caller. The caller must attempt to make the state protected by the mutex consistent.

If the caller is able to make the state consistent, call pthread_mutex_consistent_np() for the mutex and unlock the mutex. Subsequent calls to pthread_mutex_lock() behave normally.

If the caller is unable to make the state consistent, do not call pthread_mutex_init() for the mutex. Unlock the mutex instead. Subsequent calls to pthread_mutex_lock() fail to acquire the mutex and return an ENOTRECOVERABLE error code.

If the owner that acquired the lock with EOWNERDEAD terminates while holding the mutex, the next owner acquires the lock with EOWNERDEAD.

ENOTRECOVERABLE

Description:

The mutex you are trying to acquire was protecting state left irrecoverable by the mutex's previous owner. The mutex has not been acquired. This irrecoverable condition can occur when:

• The lock was previously acquired with EOWNERDEAD

• The owner was unable to cleanup the state

• The owner unlocked the mutex without making the mutex state consistent

ENOMEM

Description:

The limit on the number of simultaneously held mutexes has been exceeded.