This past semester I was taking an OS practicum in C, in which the first project involved making a threads package, then writing a multiple producer-consumer program to demonstrate the functionality. However, after getting grading feedback, I lost points for "The usage of semaphores is subtly wrong" and "The program assumes preemption (e.g. uses yield to change control)" (We started with a non-preemptive threads package then added preemption later. Note that the comment and example contradict each other. I believe it doesn't assume either, and would work in both environments). This has been bugging me for a long time - the course staff was kind of overwhelmed, so I couldn't ask them what's wrong with this over the semester. I've spent a long time thinking about this and I can't see the issues. If anyone could take a look and point out the error, or reassure me that there actually isn't a problem, I'd really appreciate it. I believe the syntax should be pretty standard in terms of the thread package functions (minithreads and semaphores), but let me know if anything is confusing. #include <stdio.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include "minithread.h" #include "synch.h" #define BUFFER_SIZE 16 #define MAXCOUNT 100 int buffer[BUFFER_SIZE]; int size, head, tail; int count = 1; int out = 0; int toadd = 0; int toremove = 0; semaphore_t empty; semaphore_t full; semaphore_t count_lock; // Semaphore to keep a lock on the // global variables for maintaining the counts /* Method to handle the working of a student * The ID of a student is the corresponding minithread_id */ int student(int total_burgers) { int n, i; semaphore_P(count_lock); while ((out+toremove) < arg) { n = genintrand(BUFFER_SIZE); n = (n <= total_burgers - (out + toremove)) ? n : total_burgers - (out + toremove); printf("Student %d wants to get %d burgers ...\n", minithread_id(), n); toremove += n; semaphore_V(count_lock); for (i=0; i<n; i++) { semaphore_P(empty); out = buffer[tail]; printf("Student %d is taking burger %d.\n", minithread_id(), out); tail = (tail + 1) % BUFFER_SIZE; size--; toremove--; semaphore_V(full); } semaphore_P(count_lock); } semaphore_V(count_lock); printf("Student %d is done.\n", minithread_id()); return 0; } /* Method to handle the working of a cook * The ID of a cook is the corresponding minithread_id */ int cook(int total_burgers) { int n, i; printf("Creating Cook %d\n",minithread_id()); semaphore_P(count_lock); while ((count+toadd) <= arg) { n = genintrand(BUFFER_SIZE); n = (n <= total_burgers - (count + toadd) + 1) ? n : total_burgers - (count + toadd) + 1; printf("Cook %d wants to put %d burgers into the burger stack ...\n", minithread_id(),n); toadd += n; semaphore_V(count_lock); for (i=0; i<n; i++) { semaphore_P(full); printf("Cook %d is putting burger %d into the burger stack.\n", minithread_id(), count); buffer[head] = count++; head = (head + 1) % BUFFER_SIZE; size++; toadd--; semaphore_V(empty); } semaphore_P(count_lock); } semaphore_V(count_lock); printf("Cook %d is done.\n", minithread_id()); return 0; } /* Method to create our multiple producers and consumers * and start their respective threads by fork */ void starter(int* c){ int i; for (i=0;i<c[2];i++){ minithread_fork(cook, c[0]); } for (i=0;i<c[1];i++){ minithread_fork(student, c[0]); } } /* The arguments are passed as command line parameters * argv[1] is the no of students * argv[2] is the no of cooks */ void main(int argc, char *argv[]) { int pass_args[3]; pass_args[0] = MAXCOUNT; pass_args[1] = atoi(argv[1]); pass_args[2] = atoi(argv[2]); size = head = tail = 0; empty = semaphore_create(); semaphore_initialize(empty, 0); full = semaphore_create(); semaphore_initialize(full, BUFFER_SIZE); count_lock = semaphore_create(); semaphore_initialize(count_lock, 1); minithread_system_initialize(starter, pass_args); }