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thread_terminate(9r) [osf1 man page]

thread_terminate(9r)													      thread_terminate(9r)

NAME
thread_terminate - General: Prepares to stop or stops execution of the specified kernel thread SYNOPSIS
kern_return_t thread_terminate( thread_t thread_to_terminate ); ARGUMENTS
Specifies a pointer to the thread structure associated with the kernel thread that you want to terminate. This pointer was returned in a previous call to the kernel_isrthread or kernel_thread_w_arg routine. DESCRIPTION
The thread_terminate routine prepares to stop or permanently stops execution of the specified kernel thread. You created and started this kernel thread in a previous call to the kernel_isrthread or kernel_thread_w_arg routine. These routines return a pointer to the thread structure associated with the newly created and started kernel thread. Kernel modules use this pointer as a handle to identify the specific kernel thread that thread_terminate stops executing. Typically, a kernel thread terminates itself. However, one kernel thread can terminate another kernel thread. A kernel thread that termi- nates itself must call thread_halt_self immediately after the call to thread_terminate. The reason for this is that thread_terminate only prepares the self-terminating kernel thread to stop execution. The thread_halt_self routine completes the work needed to stop execution (by performing the appropriate cleanup work) of the self-terminating kernel thread. Specifically, the thread_terminate routine works as follows: For terminating other kernel threads The thread_terminate routine stops execution of the specified kernel thread, frees any resources associated with that kernel thread, and thus makes the kernel thread unavailable. To make the kernel thread available again, you need to create it by calling ker- nel_isrthread or kernel_thread_w_arg. A kernel thread terminates itself The thread_terminate routine prepares to stop execution of the kernel thread that needs to terminate itself. The thread_halt_self routine completes the work needed to stop execution of the self-terminating kernel thread by performing the appropriate cleanup work. After you call these routines, the self-terminating kernel thread becomes unavailable until you create it again by calling kernel_isrthread or kernel_thread_w_arg. NOTES
You do not need to terminate every kernel thread that you create. You should not terminate a kernel thread that is waiting for some event. The basic rule is that you should terminate only those kernel threads that you do not need anymore. For example, if a dynamically config- ured kernel module uses kernel threads, you should terminate them in the CFG_OP_UNCONFIGURE entry point of the loadable module's configure routine. The kernel threads are no longer needed after the module is unconfigured. Note that the thread_terminate routine (for kernel threads that terminate other kernel threads) not only permanently stops execution of the specified kernel thread, but it also frees any resources associated with that kernel thread; thus, this kernel thread can no longer be used. RETURN VALUES
Upon successfully terminating the specified kernel thread, thread_terminate returns the constant KERN_SUCCESS. If the thread structure pointer passed to the thread_to_terminate argument does not identify a valid kernel thread, thread_terminate returns the constant KERN_INVALID_ARGUMENT. On any other error, thread_terminate returns the constant KERN_FAILURE. SEE ALSO
Data Structures: thread(9s) Routines: kernel_isrthread(9r), kernel_thread_w_arg(9r), thread_halt_self(9r) thread_terminate(9r)

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PTHREAD_EXIT(3) 					     Linux Programmer's Manual						   PTHREAD_EXIT(3)

NAME
pthread_exit - terminate calling thread SYNOPSIS
#include <pthread.h> void pthread_exit(void *retval); Compile and link with -pthread. DESCRIPTION
The pthread_exit() function terminates the calling thread and returns a value via retval that (if the thread is joinable) is available to another thread in the same process that calls pthread_join(3). Any clean-up handlers established by pthread_cleanup_push(3) that have not yet been popped, are popped (in the reverse of the order in which they were pushed) and executed. If the thread has any thread-specific data, then, after the clean-up handlers have been executed, the corresponding destructor functions are called, in an unspecified order. When a thread terminates, process-shared resources (e.g., mutexes, condition variables, semaphores, and file descriptors) are not released, and functions registered using atexit(3) are not called. After the last thread in a process terminates, the process terminates as by calling exit(3) with an exit status of zero; thus, process- shared resources are released and functions registered using atexit(3) are called. RETURN VALUE
This function does not return to the caller. ERRORS
This function always succeeds. CONFORMING TO
POSIX.1-2001. NOTES
Performing a return from the start function of any thread other than the main thread results in an implicit call to pthread_exit(), using the function's return value as the thread's exit status. To allow other threads to continue execution, the main thread should terminate by calling pthread_exit() rather than exit(3). The value pointed to by retval should not be located on the calling thread's stack, since the contents of that stack are undefined after the thread terminates. BUGS
Currently, there are limitations in the kernel implementation logic for wait(2)ing on a stopped thread group with a dead thread group leader. This can manifest in problems such as a locked terminal if a stop signal is sent to a foreground process whose thread group leader has already called pthread_exit(). SEE ALSO
pthread_create(3), pthread_join(3), pthreads(7) COLOPHON
This page is part of release 3.53 of the Linux man-pages project. A description of the project, and information about reporting bugs, can be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/. Linux 2009-03-30 PTHREAD_EXIT(3)
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