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Diffstat (limited to 'contrib/perl5/README.threads')
| -rw-r--r-- | contrib/perl5/README.threads | 123 |
1 files changed, 85 insertions, 38 deletions
diff --git a/contrib/perl5/README.threads b/contrib/perl5/README.threads index 136b156..15d36de 100644 --- a/contrib/perl5/README.threads +++ b/contrib/perl5/README.threads @@ -1,53 +1,89 @@ -NOTE - -Threading is a highly experimental feature. There are still a -few race conditions that show up under high contention on SMP +NOTE: This documentation describes the style of threading that was +available in 5.005. Perl v5.6 also has the early beginnings of +interpreter-based threads support (which is what will be enabled by +default when you simply ask for -Dusethreads). However, be advised +that interpreter threads cannot as yet be created from the Perl level +yet. If you're looking to create threads from within Perl, chances +are you _don't_ want interpreter threads, but want the older support +for threads described below, enabled with: + + sh Configure -Dusethreads -Duse5005threads + +The rest of this document only applies to the use5005threads style of +threads. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +Support for threading is still in the highly experimental stages. There +are known race conditions that show up under high contention on SMP machines. Internal implementation is still subject to changes. It is not recommended for production use at this time. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- + Building -If you want to build with multi-threading support and you are -running one of the following: +If your system is in the following list you should be able to just: - * Linux 2.x (with the LinuxThreads library installed: that's - the linuxthreads and linuxthreads-devel RPMs for RedHat) + ./Configure -Dusethreads -Duse5005threads -des + make - * Digital UNIX 4.x +and ignore the rest of this "Building" section. If not, continue +from the "Problems" section. - * Digital UNIX 3.x (Formerly DEC OSF/1), see additional note below + * Linux 2.* (with the LinuxThreads library installed: + that's the linuxthreads and linuxthreads-devel RPMs + for RedHat) - * Solaris 2.x for recentish x (2.5 is OK) + * Tru64 UNIX (formerly Digital UNIX formerly DEC OSF/1) + (see additional note below) - * IRIX 6.2 or newer. 6.2 will require a few os patches. - IMPORTANT: Without patch 2401, a kernel bug in IRIX 6.2 will - cause your machine to panic and crash when running threaded perl. - IRIX 6.3 and up should be OK. See lower down for patch details. + * Solaris 2.* for recentish x (2.5 is OK) -then you should be able to use + * IRIX 6.2 or newer. 6.2 will require a few OS patches. + IMPORTANT: Without patch 2401 (or its replacement), + a kernel bug in IRIX 6.2 will cause your machine to + panic and crash when running threaded perl. + IRIX 6.3 and up should be OK. See lower down for patch details. - ./Configure -Dusethreads -des - make + * AIX 4.1.5 or newer. + + * FreeBSD 2.2.8 or newer. + + * OpenBSD + + * NeXTstep, OpenStep -and ignore the rest of this "Building" section. If it doesn't -work or you are using another platform which you believe supports -POSIX.1c threads then read on. Additional information may be in -a platform-specific "hints" file in the hints/ subdirectory. + * OS/2 -On other platforms that use Configure to build perl, omit the -d -from your ./Configure arguments. For example, use: + * DOS DJGPP - ./Configure -Dusethreads + * VM/ESA + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +Problems + +If the simple way doesn't work or you are using another platform which +you believe supports POSIX.1c threads then read on. Additional +information may be in a platform-specific "hints" file in the hints/ +subdirectory. + +On platforms that use Configure to build perl, omit the -d from your +./Configure arguments. For example, use: + + ./Configure -Dusethreads -Duse5005threads When Configure prompts you for ccflags, insert any other arguments in -there that your compiler needs to use POSIX threads. When Configure -prompts you for linking flags, include any flags required for -threading (usually nothing special is required here). Finally, when -COnfigure prompts you for libraries, include any necessary libraries -(e.g. -lpthread). Pay attention to the order of libraries. It is -probably necessary to specify your threading library *before* your -standard C library, e.g. it might be necessary to have -lpthread -lc, -instead of -lc -lpthread. +there that your compiler needs to use POSIX threads (-D_REENTRANT, +-pthreads, -threads, -pthread, -thread, are good guesses). When +Configure prompts you for linking flags, include any flags required +for threading (usually nothing special is required here). Finally, +when Configure prompts you for libraries, include any necessary +libraries (e.g. -lpthread). Pay attention to the order of libraries. +It is probably necessary to specify your threading library *before* +your standard C library, e.g. it might be necessary to have -lpthread +-lc, instead of -lc -lpthread. You may also need to use -lc_r instead +of -lc. Once you have specified all your compiler flags, you can have Configure accept all the defaults for the remainder of the session by typing &-d @@ -71,7 +107,7 @@ For Digital Unix 4.x: For Digital Unix 3.x (Formerly DEC OSF/1): Add -DOLD_PTHREADS_API to ccflags - If compiling with the GNU cc compiler, remove -thread from ccflags + If compiling with the GNU cc compiler, remove -threads from ccflags (The following should be done automatically if you call Configure with the -Dusethreads option). @@ -93,6 +129,7 @@ For IRIX: For IRIX 6.3 and 6.4 the pthreads should work out of the box. Thanks to Hannu Napari <Hannu.Napari@hut.fi> for the IRIX pthreads patches information. + For AIX: (This should all be done automatically by the hint file). Change cc to xlc_r or cc_r. @@ -107,6 +144,12 @@ For Win32: Now you can do a make +When you succeed in compiling and testing ("make test" after your +build) a threaded Perl in a platform previosuly unknown to support +threaded perl, please let perlbug@perl.com know about your victory. +Explain what you did in painful detail. + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- O/S specific bugs @@ -138,8 +181,8 @@ has this fixed but the following patch can be applied to 0.5 for now: Building the Thread extension The Thread extension is now part of the main perl distribution tree. -If you did Configure -Dusethreads then it will have been added to -the list of extensions automatically. +If you did Configure -Dusethreads -Duse5005threads then it will have been +added to the list of extensions automatically. You can try some of the tests with cd ext/Thread @@ -155,6 +198,7 @@ Try running the main perl test suite too. There are known failures for some of the DBM/DB extensions (if their underlying libraries were not compiled to be thread-aware). +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bugs @@ -164,8 +208,7 @@ tested at all in recent times.) * There may still be races where bugs show up under contention. -* Need to document "lock", Thread.pm, Queue.pm, ... - +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Debugging @@ -178,6 +221,7 @@ have to delete the lines in perl.c which say DEBUG_S(signal(SIGSEGV, (void(*)(int))catch_sigsegv);); #endif +--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Background @@ -287,3 +331,6 @@ Andy Dougherty <doughera@lafayette.edu> Other minor updates 10 Feb 1999 by Gurusamy Sarathy + +More platforms added 26 Jul 1999 by +Jarkko Hietaniemi |
