KTHREAD(9) OpenBSD Kernel Manual KTHREAD(9)NAME
kthread_create, kthread_exit, kthread_create_deferred - kernel threads
SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/kthread.h>
int
kthread_create(void (*func)(void *), void *arg, struct proc
**newpp, const char *fmt, ...);
void
kthread_exit(int ecode);
void
kthread_create_deferred(void (*func)(void *), void *arg);
DESCRIPTION
Kernel threads are system light-weight processes: cloned from process 0
(the swapper), sharing its memory map and limits, but with a copy of its
file descriptor table. They don't receive broadcast nor group signals
and they can't be swapped.
Any process can call kthread_create() to create a kernel thread. The new
process starts up executing func with argument arg. If newpp is not
NULL, it is filled with the address of the new process. fmt and the
remaining arguments are used to name the process.
A kernel thread will terminate by calling kthread_exit(), with exit code
ecode.
Since the system has to be up and running for creating new processes,
device drivers that want to create kernel threads early (e.g., at attach
time) may use kthread_create_deferred() instead. The system will call
back the function func with argument arg when it can create threads, so
it is up to func to call kthread_create() at that point.
RETURN VALUES
Upon successful completion, kthread_create() returns 0. Otherwise, the
following error values are returned:
[EAGAIN] The limit on the total number of system processes would be
exceeded.
SEE ALSOfork1(9)BUGS
There is currently no way to use ecode to any sensible purpose from
kthread_exit().
OpenBSD 4.9 May 31, 2007 OpenBSD 4.9
