.\" $NetBSD: pthread_spin_init.3,v 1.8 2008/05/26 08:45:55 wiz Exp $ .\" .\" Copyright (c) 2002, 2008 The NetBSD Foundation, Inc. .\" All rights reserved. .\" Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without .\" modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions .\" are met: .\" 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright .\" notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. .\" 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright .\" notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the .\" documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. .\" THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE NETBSD FOUNDATION, INC. AND CONTRIBUTORS .\" ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED .\" TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR .\" PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE FOUNDATION OR CONTRIBUTORS .\" BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR .\" CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF .\" SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS .\" INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN .\" CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) .\" ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE .\" POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. .\" .Dd May 26, 2008 .Dt PTHREAD_SPIN_INIT 3 .Os .Sh NAME .Nm pthread_spin_init .Nd initialize a spin lock .Sh LIBRARY .Lb libpthread .Sh SYNOPSIS .In pthread.h .Ft int .Fn pthread_spin_init "pthread_spinlock_t *lock" "int pshared" .Sh DESCRIPTION The .Fn pthread_spin_init function is used to initialize a spinlock. The .Fa pshared parameter is currently unused and all spinlocks exhibit the .Dv PTHREAD_PROCESS_SHARED property. .Pp The results of calling .Fn pthread_spin_init with an already initialized lock are undefined. .Sh RETURN VALUES If successful, the .Fn pthread_spin_init function will return zero. Otherwise an error number will be returned to indicate the error. .Sh ERRORS The .Fn pthread_spin_init function shall fail if: .Bl -tag -width Er .It Bq Er ENOMEM Insufficient memory exists to initialize the lock. .El .Pp The .Fn pthread_spin_init function may fail if: .Bl -tag -width Er .It Bq Er EINVAL The .Fa lock parameter was NULL or the .Fa pshared parameter was neither .Dv PTHREAD_PROCESS_SHARED nor .Dv PTHREAD_PROCESS_PRIVATE . .El .Sh SEE ALSO .Xr pthread_spin_destroy 3 , .Xr pthread_spin_lock 3 , .Xr pthread_spin_trylock 3 , .Xr pthread_spin_unlock 3 .Sh STANDARDS .Fn pthread_spin_init conforms to .St -p1003.1-2001 . .Sh CAVEATS Applications using spinlocks are vulnerable to the effects of priority inversion. Applications using real-time threads .Pq Dv SCHED_FIFO , SCHED_RR should not use these interfaces. Outside carefully controlled environments, priority inversion with spinlocks can lead to system deadlock. Mutexes are preferable in nearly every possible use case.