Multithreading problems

[DKerns at westell.com]

> thread1: locks semaphore, enters critical section, exits critical
>    section, unlocks semaphore
> thread 2: attempts to lock semaphore
> thread 1: attempts to lock semaphore
> deadlock

you may not really have the situation that I'm interpreting from your
description, but your describing an engineered deadlock!

thread1: locks semaphore  := entering critical section

if you really have a second "method" to "enter critical section", you've
(re)designed the dinning philosophers problem where you have a
lock/semaphore on each "fork".

it's perfectly legit to have multiple threads attempt to lock the semaphore
simultaneously. That is, in fact, the entire purpose of the semaphore.

my $.02.