pthread sleep linux

Question

I am creating a program with multiple threads using pthreads.

Is sleep() causing the process (all the threads) to stop executing or just the thread where I am calling sleep?

Solution 1

Just the thread. The POSIX documentation for sleep() says:

The sleep() function shall cause the calling thread to be suspended from execution...

Solution 2

Try this,

#include <unistd.h>

usleep(microseconds);

Solution 3

I usually use nanosleep and it works fine. Nanosleep supends the execution of the calling thread. I have had the same doubt because in some man pages sleep refers to the entire process.

Comments

[user48956]

Here's what "man 3 sleep" says: "sleep() makes the calling process sleep until seconds seconds have elapsed..." (Ubuntu 10). The function is in unistd.h. Is this documentation wrong or is there a second sleep function?

[caf]

@user48956: For historical reasons, the man pages often use "process" where the behaviour now applies to the "thread" - this is the case in the sleep(3) man page that you refer to. I suggest submitting a bug to Ubuntu about the documentation.

[damianostre]

Yep, that's easier to use than nanosleep in most cases.

[dpi]

Note that usleep() is obsolete and has been removed from POSIX.1-2008. You should use either sleep(), or nanosleep() if higher resolution is required.

[Will Eccles]

This is inaccurate. The sleep() will cause the current thread to sleep. See sleep(3). Lots of older man pages still use the word "process," but in reality a thread is a process.