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PTHREAD_EXIT(3) Linux Programmer's Manual PTHREAD_EXIT(3)

NAME

     pthread_exit - terminate calling thread

SYNOPSIS

     #include <pthread.h>

     void pthread_exit(void *retval);

     Compile and link with -pthread.

DESCRIPTION

     The pthread_exit() function terminates the calling thread and returns a
     value via retval that (if the  thread  is  joinable)  is  available  to
     another thread in the same process that calls pthread_join(3).

     Any  clean-up handlers established by pthread_cleanup_push(3) that have
     not yet been popped, are popped (in the reverse of the order  in  which
     they  were pushed) and executed.  If the thread has any thread-specific
     data, then, after the clean-up handlers have been executed, the  corre-
     sponding destructor functions are called, in an unspecified order.

     When a thread terminates, process-shared resources (e.g., mutexes, con-
     dition variables, semaphores, and file descriptors) are  not  released,
     and functions registered using atexit(3) are not called.

     After  the  last thread in a process terminates, the process terminates
     as by calling exit(3) with an exit status of zero; thus, process-shared
     resources  are  released  and  functions registered using atexit(3) are
     called.

RETURN VALUE

     This function does not return to the caller.

ERRORS

     This function always succeeds.

ATTRIBUTES

     For  an  explanation  of  the  terms  used   in   this   section,   see
     attributes(7).

     +---------------+---------------+---------+
     |Interface      | Attribute     | Value   |
     +---------------+---------------+---------+
     |pthread_exit() | Thread safety | MT-Safe |
     +---------------+---------------+---------+

CONFORMING TO

     POSIX.1-2001, POSIX.1-2008.

NOTES

     Performing  a  return  from the start function of any thread other than
     the main thread results in an implicit call  to  pthread_exit(),  using
     the function's return value as the thread's exit status.

     To  allow  other  threads to continue execution, the main thread should
     terminate by calling pthread_exit() rather than exit(3).

     The value pointed to by retval should not be  located  on  the  calling
     thread's  stack,  since  the contents of that stack are undefined after
     the thread terminates.

BUGS

     Currently, there are limitations in the kernel implementation logic for
     wait(2)ing  on  a stopped thread group with a dead thread group leader.
     This can manifest in problems such as a locked terminal if a stop  sig-
     nal  is  sent  to  a  foreground  process whose thread group leader has
     already called pthread_exit().