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Dale · 05-23-2010, 11:09 AM

Originally posted by feldon34:

In my programming experience, I checked to see if another program was running on the computer with the same internal program name. Never heard of a Mutex.

Think of Mutex as "Mutual Exclusion"

Assume there is a critical resource (serially-reusable but non-reentrant) that is needed by two or more programs. Those programs do not need to be doing the same tasks, and do not need to have the same program name - they just need exclusive use of the resource for a while.

Each of the several programs will get access to the critical resource by issuing a Mutex.

The effect is like each program asked the system: "Please give me access to this resource, and if you can't do that right now, then put me in a queue (in request order with everybody else who wants that resource), and suspend my execution until I can have that resource.

Mutex is not normally/generally/usually used in the way MA3 is apparently using it: "Give me that resource right now, or I intend to commit suicide".

Footnote: Not that it makes any difference, but it's also not clear what "resource" MA3 is looking at.

05-23-2010, 11:09 AM	#17
Dale Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Western Missouri Posts: 960	Originally posted by feldon34: In my programming experience, I checked to see if another program was running on the computer with the same internal program name. Never heard of a Mutex. Think of Mutex as "Mutual Exclusion" Assume there is a critical resource (serially-reusable but non-reentrant) that is needed by two or more programs. Those programs do not need to be doing the same tasks, and do not need to have the same program name - they just need exclusive use of the resource for a while. Each of the several programs will get access to the critical resource by issuing a Mutex. The effect is like each program asked the system: "Please give me access to this resource, and if you can't do that right now, then put me in a queue (in request order with everybody else who wants that resource), and suspend my execution until I can have that resource. Mutex is not normally/generally/usually used in the way MA3 is apparently using it: "Give me that resource right now, or I intend to commit suicide". Footnote: Not that it makes any difference, but it's also not clear what "resource" MA3 is looking at.