Re: semaphore and spin locks

[<w.us@verizon.net>]

On Sun, 5 Aug 2001, Christoph Hellwig wrote:

> On Sun, Aug 05, 2001 at 11:51:37AM -0400, w.us@verizon.net wrote:
> > Spin locks only work in a multiprocessor environment.
>
> Right.  (at least in the Linux kernel..)
>
> > If you use it in a unprocessor environment, then the waiting process would
> > keep running in a spin and have no chance to release it and the whole
> > kernel would hang.
>
> No.  What waiting processes?

I was wrong here. There is no waiting process because the kernel code
cannot be preempted.


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