Re: [Caml-list] Why systhreads?

[Xavier Leroy <xavier.leroy@inria.fr>]

> In the case i have a multi-threaded lablgtk executable, having ine
> thread managing the interface and the other running programs, that even
> if i had a way of killing a thread (or setting a mutex or whatever to
> signal it to stop), that if the running thread is looping, i will never
> be able to execute the interface thread which will (trough a callback)
> set the mutex to the stop option, because the running thread doesn't do
> blocking IO ?

That's a long question.  Had to read it three times to see what you mean :-)

The answer to your question is that Caml systhreads do support
preemption: a timer forces the currently running thread to call
Thread.yield() at regular intervals.  In turn, Thread.yield()
releases the master mutex, calls sched_yield(), and re-acquires the
master mutex, giving other threads a chance to grab the master mutex
and run.

> keeping the GUI alive even if some other stuff is taking time or looping
> forever is a nice application of threading support.

Sure.  But this is all taken care of.  

- Xavier Leroy
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