Call join child pthread in main function - c++

Question

I have the test code:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <pthread.h>
pthread_t th_worker, th_worker2;
void * worker2(void *data) {
for(int i = 0; i< 1000000; i++){
printf("thread for worker2----%d\n", i);
usleep(500);
}
}
void * worker(void *data){
pthread_create(&th_worker2, NULL, worker2, data);
for(int i = 0; i< 100; i++){
printf("thread for worker-----%d\n", i);
usleep(500);
}
}
void join(pthread_t _th){
pthread_join(_th, NULL);
}
In main() function, If I call join(the_worker2):
int main() {
char* str = "hello thread";
pthread_create(&th_worker, NULL, worker, (void*) str);
/* problem in here */
join(th_worker2);
return 1;
}
--> Segment Fault error
Else, i call:
join(the_worker);
join(th_worker2);
---> OK
Why have segment fault error in above case?
Thanks for help !!!

Answer 1

If you posted all your code, you have a race condition.
main is synchronized with the start of worker but not worker2.
That is, main is trying to join th_worker2 before worker has had a chance to invoke pthread_create and set up th_worker2 with a valid [non-null] value.
So, th_worker2 will be invalid until the second pthread_create completes, but that's already too late for main. It has already fetched th_worker2, which has a NULL value and main will segfault.
When you add the join for th_worker, it works because it guarantees synchronization and no race condition.
To achieve this guarantee without the join, have main do:
int
main()
{
char *str = "hello thread";
pthread_create(&th_worker, NULL, worker, (void *) str);
// give worker enough time to properly start worker2
while (! th_worker2)
usleep(100);
/* problem in here */
join(th_worker2);
return 1;
}
An even better way to do this is to add an extra variable. With this, the first loop is not needed [but I've left it in]:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <pthread.h>
int worker_running;
pthread_t th_worker;
int worker2_running;
pthread_t th_worker2;
void *
worker2(void *data)
{
// tell main we're fully functional
worker2_running = 1;
for (int i = 0; i < 1000000; i++) {
printf("thread for worker2----%d\n", i);
usleep(500);
}
return NULL;
}
void *
worker(void *data)
{
// tell main we're fully functional
worker_running = 1;
pthread_create(&th_worker2, NULL, worker2, data);
for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
printf("thread for worker-----%d\n", i);
usleep(500);
}
return NULL;
}
void
join(pthread_t _th)
{
pthread_join(_th, NULL);
}
int
main()
{
char *str = "hello thread";
pthread_create(&th_worker, NULL, worker, (void *) str);
// give worker enough time to properly start worker2
// NOTE: this not necessarily needed as loop below is better
while (! th_worker2)
usleep(100);
// give worker2 enough time to completely start
while (! worker2_running)
usleep(100);
/* problem in here (not anymore!) */
join(th_worker2);
return 1;
}