Subj : Re: Problem with system() calls in a multithreaded program on HPUX 11
To   : comp.programming.threads,comp.sys.hp.hpux
From : ptjm
Date : Sun Feb 13 2005 10:15 pm

In article <m3mzub6rjq.fsf@salmon.parasoft.com>,
Paul Pluzhnikov  <ppluzhnikov-nsp@charter.net> wrote:
% maheshkumarjha@gmail.com (Mahesh Kumar) writes:
% 
% > 	I am porting a multithreaded program to HPUX 11 from Solaris, in
% > which threads make calls to system() functions.
% 
% This is extremely bad idea (TM).
% 
% Writing multithreaded programs that fork() correctly requires
% careful use of pthread_atfork handlers for every possible lock used,
% both in your code and in every library you link against.

I'd say that atfork handlers are largely useless. Whatever you do with
mutexes, for instance, is irrelevant because the child process isn't
allowed to lock or unlock them anyway. execing a new process image is
allowed, though. system() is problematic, but the problem is with
waiting for the child process to finish, rather than with forking and
execing.



-- 

Patrick TJ McPhee
North York  Canada
ptjm@interlog.com

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