[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: "Real" Multitasking (Re: GNO questions...)



jmk3@crux3.cit.cornell.edu (Jay Krell) writes:

>What's a semaphore? (Maybe I should read comp.unix.*)

A semaphore is a type of intrprocess communication that allows several
processes to use the same globals.

When one process is ready to use the globals, it tells the system so. If
someone else already ha acccess, the process is blocked until the other
process signals the system that t is done with the globals.

It's a very simple but powerful concept. That is not the n;y use for
semaphores, BTW.
 ______________________________________________________________________
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Phillip Vandry | Vandry@Cam.Org | Suicide (n.): What to do if Macs   |
|________________|________________|_______________take over the world__|
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~