Re: Linux and Threads

[Gregory Seidman <gss+debian@cs.brown.edu>]

Narins, Josh sez:
}    The boss, rarely one to link, has pointed some developers to this
} article, which relates quite a few 'flaws'(features?) of Linux threading.
} 
}    The article is dated back a little while, and I was wondering if the
} criticism's are still valid,
} 
}    and if so, are they as equally valid for Debian as any other Linux?
} 
}    Thanks!
} http://homepages.tesco.net/~J.deBoynePollard/FGA/linux-thread-problems.html

Threading has been completely revamped and fixed... in the 2.5 development
kernel. The 2.4 kernel continues to have most if not all of the problems
this page lists.

While it isn't all that difficult to build and run a development kernel
under Debian, the new threading libraries are separate (I think) and need
to be installed as well. Debian does not directly support that (though I'm
sure it can be done). AFAIK, no distribution really supports development
kernels and any associated libraries.

In any case, I can't recommend running a development kernel. I can recommend
waiting until 2.6 comes out Real Soon Now, which will have the various
threading improvements. At that point, the nice Debian folks will package
it all up.

} -Josh
--Greg