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Level 1

1 points

Multithreading on Mac OS X

I've recently read somewhere on the Web that Mac OS X has no concept of multithreadiing. I'm assuming from this that OS X uses some form of coarse-grained scheduling based on task/process. How does the Java VM run on OS X? Java apps rely on multithreading within the VM.

Thanks.

Windows Vista

Posted on Jun 2, 2009 8:35 AM

18 replies

IPEnthusiast Author

Level 1

1 points

Jun 3, 2009 6:56 AM in response to Allan Eckert

Actually, what OS X does not support is Thread Local Storage. At the extremity, if you need to spin off a bunch of threads that are based on the same function/method and if you don't have any need to share state between those threads, TLS simply makes each thread look like an independent method. But sharing state is the more common scenario in multithreading, so the OS can lend a very helping hand through its implementation of TLS there as well.

a brody

Level 10

83,017 points

Jun 3, 2009 7:04 AM in response to IPEnthusiast

Actually it does:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/506093/why-is-thread-local-storage-so-slow

Its implementation may be different, but it does support it.

a brody

Level 10

83,017 points

Jun 3, 2009 8:45 AM in response to a brody

I might ammend this post saying, there is a Developer forum where you can ask what Mac OS X does support, or how it supports a certain feature, rather than off the bat assume it does not support it. It is found here:

http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=727

Additionally you can search the resources at http://developer.apple.com/

I found the above link about Thread Local Storage though with the help of Google.

I would encourage to you dispell any myths you've heard, by asking how to approach a technical issue, instead of saying it does not support XYZ.

Multithreading on Mac OS X