Proper way to start a run loop

I want to start a background thread that can handle events. That is, one that can be used with performSelector or NSStream's scheduleInRunLoop.

I looked through the run loop document

http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/Multithre ading/RunLoopManagement/RunLoopManagement.html

but couldn't find instruction to _start_ a new runloop. So I rolled my own NSThread subclass with the following main. It seems to be working for my purpose but is it correct? Or is there an easier way?

enum lockCondition {THREAD_NOT_ENDED, THREAD_HAS_ENDED};

@interface EventHandlingThread : NSThread {

//Another thread can wait for this thread to stop by waiting on this lock. It is passed in from constructor.

NSConditionLock *_joinLock;

//run loop of this thread. To be exposed to other threads

NSRunLoop *_runloop;

}

-(void)main {

//preamble

[_joinLock lock];

NSAutoreleasePool *arp = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];

//prepare

NSRunLoop *runLoop = [NSRunLoop currentRunLoop];

_runloop = runLoop;

//schedule a timer so runMode won't stop immediately

NSTimer *keepAliveTimer = [[NSTimer alloc] initWithFireDate:[NSDate distantFuture]

interval:1e308 target:nil selector:nil userInfo:nil repeats:YES];

[runLoop addTimer:keepAliveTimer forMode:NSDefaultRunLoopMode];

//loop

LOGD(@"loop: starting");

while (1) {

if ( [NSThread currentThread].isCancelled )

break;

[runLoop runMode:NSDefaultRunLoopMode beforeDate: [NSDate distantFuture]];

LOGD(@"loop: runMode returned");

}

LOGD(@"loop: ended");

//clean up

[keepAliveTimer invalidate];

[keepAliveTimer release];

//postamble

[arp release];

[_joinLock unlockWithCondition:THREAD_HAS_ENDED];

}