Chapter 17: Learning about Processes and Threads

In the preceding chapters, we considered the various aspects of creating an embedded Linux platform. Now, it is time to start looking at how you can use the platform to create a working device. In this chapter, I will talk about the implications of the Linux process model and how it encompasses multithreaded programs. I will look at the pros and cons of using single-threaded and multithreaded processes, as well as asynchronous message passing between processes and coroutines. Lastly, I will look at scheduling and differentiate between timeshare and real-time scheduling policies.

While these topics are not specific to embedded computing, it is important for a designer of any embedded device to have an overview of these topics. There are many good references on the subject, some of which I will list at the end of this chapter, but in general, they do not consider the embedded use cases. Due to this, I will be concentrating on the concepts...