Mutex and conditionals issue, problem with synchronization between threads - c

Question

#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <pthread.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
#include <string.h>
pthread_mutex_t mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
pthread_cond_t cond = PTHREAD_COND_INITIALIZER;
char mutual[100];
int firstWrote = 0;
int secondWrote = 0;
int firstFinished = 0;
int secondFinished = 0;
void* reader(void* arg)
{
FILE* file = fopen((const char*)arg,"r");
if(file == NULL)
{
printf("Problem with opening file %s",(const char*)arg);
exit(4);
}
else
{
char which[25];
while(fgets(mutual,100,file))
{
pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
strcpy(which,(const char*)arg);
if(strcmp(which,"/etc/profile")==0)
{
firstWrote = 1;
//printf("%s\n",mutual);
fflush(stdout);
}
if(strcmp(which,"/etc/passwd")==0)
{
secondWrote = 1;
//printf("%s\n",mutual);
fflush(stdout);
}
pthread_cond_signal(&cond);
pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
}
if(strcmp(which,"/etc/profile")==0)
{
firstWrote = 0;
firstFinished= 1;
}
else if(strcmp(which,"etc/passwd")==0)
{
secondWrote = 0;
secondFinished = 1;
}
}
fclose(file);
pthread_exit(NULL);
}
int main(void)
{
FILE* pawel1 = fopen("PAWEL1","w");
FILE* pawel2 = fopen("PAWEL2","w");
if(pawel1 == NULL || pawel2 == NULL)
{
printf("Problem with opening file");
return 1;
}
pthread_t p1,p2;
pthread_attr_t attr;
if(pthread_attr_init(&attr) != 0)
exit(2);
if(pthread_attr_setd2etachstate(&attr,PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED))
exit(3);
pthread_create(&p1,&attr,reader,(void*)"/etc/profile");
pthread_create(&p2,&attr,reader,(void*)"/etc/passwd");
while(1)
{
pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
if(firstFinished == 1 && secondFinished == 1)
break;
pthread_cond_wait(&cond,&mutex);
if(firstWrote == 1)
{
fprintf(pawel1,"%s",mutual);
firstWrote = 0;
}
if(secondWrote == 1)
{
fprintf(pawel2,"%s",mutual);
secondWrote = 0;
}
pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
}
fclose(pawel1);
fclose(pawel2);
pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
pthread_cond_destroy(&cond);
pthread_mutex_destroy(&mutex);
return 0;
}
The app task is to made two different thread read from two files (/etc/passwd and /etc/profile) to a global buffer, and print results to proper file (PAWEL1 or PAWEL2) in main function , and it seems that i handle this behaviour with global flags but what i get is all lines from passwd and profile in one file - PAWEL2, and the file PAWEL1 is left empty.

Answer 1

Since you share a one-line buffer among all threads, including both readers, you must ensure that the main thread runs after each reader thread, never one reader immediately after the other (or itself). Otherwise, one reader can overwrite the data and status flags set by the other. You can accomplish this by
using the existing state flags to determine whose turn it is to run, and
broadcasting to the CV instead of merely signalling it, so that all participating threads get an opportunity to evaluate whether it is appropriate for them to perform a unit of work.
In particular, the rules could look like this:
Readers can run if !firstWrote && !secondWrote, which shows that the buffer is available for new data. They set the appropriate one of those variables after successfully reading the line, thus blocking both readers from overwriting the buffer until its contents are consumed, or they set the appropriate Finished variable and terminate if they cannot read a line.
The main thread can run if firstWrote || secondWrote || (firstFinished && secondFinished). After successfully reading out the buffer, it is responsible for resetting the appropriate one of firstWrote and secondWrote to zero.
When I say a thread "can run", I am talking about the condition associated with each thread's CV wait. The proper idiom for CV usage always involves such a condition, and it looks like this (pseudocode):
lock_mutex()
// ... maybe other code ...
while (condition_is_false()) {
wait_on_cv()
}
// ... maybe other code ...
unlock_mutex()
All accesses to the data that contribute to the condition must be performed under protection from the mutex.
The loop around the wait accounts for two main things:
Control arriving at the condition check when the thread is already clear to proceed
Waking from the wait despite not being clear to proceed, either because of receiving a signal or spuriously (which occasionally does happen)
You can add another level of looping around that (and that would be appropriate for your uses).
Note also that you could simplify your logic considerably by using one set of *Wrote and *Finished variables instead of a separate set for each reader. You would then achieve the necessary distinction among program states by using more values for those variables than just 0 and 1.