Hi guys...my first post here, so please help out.....

I am a BSc student, and have recently started learning the basic of how OS's work, in my OS Concepts lectures....

I have recieved an assignment, in which I have to generally discuss the methods taken by the Linux OS, to resolves deadlocks in a multi-user environment....

I just need a brief article on this topic....

if anyone can help me out, I will be very grateful...

thanx in advance

Don't know the term "deadlocks" in a data processing sense, but assuming you mean "record locking," maybe you ought to google on that.

Firstly, Welcome to LQ!
Secondly, BSc students generally need to do a little work to earn their qualification(s).
Please see Jeremy's LQ Rules about "Homework".

to sort things right. rick? deadlocks are a valid term but googling record locking wont get you to resolving deadlocks. besides its not about data processing but about process handling

Here's the actual rule:
People are allowed to ask for help and we are allowed to give it. I think our responsibility is to point students in the right direction and NOT give them all the answers.

Intelligently stated question like this one--I will try to help.
Cut and paste from the assignment sheet??--no help from me....

Hi. I don't think the (linux) kernel has any special provisions for deadlock avoidance (maybe BSD does?). I think deadlocks are not possible with the kernel's preemption model (if they are, it's a bug). Also, in kernel code, there is always an outer lock and an inner lock.

hi. well, i dont have a problem with the homework rule that LQ has..instead I highly respect the decision... ...but the only thing is that I do not know where to start from at all!!! That is, I havent studied Linux, and all the keywords that I have to google for, are 'linux', 'deadlock' and 'multi user'....I have tried these on google, and got nothing!

If I had known the very basic methods used by linux, i could probably look them up, and carry on from there...which I dont know...

So, instead of directing me to a fully blown article which i could just copy n paste ....why not tell me the basic methods used by Linux to deal with deadlocks, or some other very basic hint...which could serve as a starting point for my search...

All I am saying is that, I would love to search for the knowledge required myself, and learn in the process too...but I dont know what to search for!!

Why not install a distro and give it a try? the best learning is done hands on. You'd also have access to the kernel source then...

Completely agree, if you have some spare time I suggest having a go at Linux From Scratch. Its an excellent learning tool.

the book "operating systems" written by stallings is a good help too quite expensive but a great resource of knowledge

OK, fortunately, I have found a significant amount of data...when I google for 'Distributed Deadlocks'....this is good for me in the way that 'Distributed' I think means 'multi-user' in my question ....

the only problem is, in all the data i have gathered so far regarding distributed deadlocks, nothing mentions any particular OS that uses the methods described...

so, does linux have any distributed deadlock handling schemes ?

I think distributed deadlocks does not mean multi-user but means a distributed computer (i.e., clustering). AFAI can tell, distributed deadlocks are way beyond the scope of the operating system and it's the responsibility of a program's author to make sure it doesn't happen.

As I said before, I don't think that the whole deadlock problem is relevant in the linux kernel (at least on a single machine).

try to search for spinlocks

This might have what you are looking for. I didn't have a lot of time to read the posts, but you should try it. Knoppix is a great example of linux (in my opinion), and it boots right off a CD (doesn't touch harddrive). Linuxquestions (LQ), has a place to download ISOs (a file containg all the linux stuff, ready for burning to a CD). Find the newest Knoppix ISO, and also, LQ also has a free/easy program to burn ISOs to CDs (made by Alex... F something, it is in the howto burn CDs, free software section.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux

Mind SP errors, etc. There is so much to talk about, here is some of it summed poorly