When it comes to threaded applications, nothing causes more fear or confusion than the issue of handling signals. Signals are a low-level BSD mechanism that can be used to deliver information to a process or manipulate it in some way. Some programs use signals to detect certain events, such as the death of a child process. The system uses signals to terminate runaway processes and communicate other types of information.
The problem with signals is not what they do, but their behavior when your application has multiple threads. In a single-threaded application, all signal handlers run on the main thread. In a multithreaded application, signals that are not tied to a specific hardware error (such as an illegal instruction) are delivered to whichever thread happens to be running at the time. If multiple threads are running simultaneously, the signal is delivered to whichever one the system happens to pick. In other words, signals can be delivered to any thread of your application.
The first rule for implementing signal handlers in applications is to avoid assumptions about which thread is handling the signal. If a specific thread wants to handle a given signal, you need to work out some way of notifying that thread when the signal arrives. You cannot just assume that installation of a signal handler from that thread will result in the signal being delivered to the same thread.
The problem with signals is not what they do, but their behavior when your application has multiple threads. In a single-threaded application, all signal handlers run on the main thread. In a multithreaded application, signals that are not tied to a specific hardware error (such as an illegal instruction) are delivered to whichever thread happens to be running at the time. If multiple threads are running simultaneously, the signal is delivered to whichever one the system happens to pick. In other words, signals can be delivered to any thread of your application.
The first rule for implementing signal handlers in applications is to avoid assumptions about which thread is handling the signal. If a specific thread wants to handle a given signal, you need to work out some way of notifying that thread when the signal arrives. You cannot just assume that installation of a signal handler from that thread will result in the signal being delivered to the same thread.