NAME

       pthread_detach - detach a thread

SYNOPSIS

       #include <pthread.h>

       int pthread_detach(pthread_t thread);

DESCRIPTION

       The  pthread_detach()  function  shall indicate to the implementation that storage for the
       thread thread can be reclaimed when that thread terminates. If thread has not  terminated,
       pthread_detach()  shall not cause it to terminate. The effect of multiple pthread_detach()
       calls on the same target thread is unspecified.

RETURN VALUE

       If the call succeeds, pthread_detach() shall return 0; otherwise, an error number shall be
       returned to indicate the error.

ERRORS

       The pthread_detach() function shall fail if:

       EINVAL The  implementation  has detected that the value specified by thread does not refer
              to a joinable thread.

       ESRCH  No thread could be found corresponding to that specified by the given thread ID.

       The pthread_detach() function shall not return an error code of [EINTR].

       The following sections are informative.

EXAMPLES

       None.

APPLICATION USAGE

       None.

RATIONALE

       The pthread_join() or pthread_detach() functions should eventually  be  called  for  every
       thread that is created so that storage associated with the thread may be reclaimed.

       It  has  been  suggested that a "detach" function is not necessary; the detachstate thread
       creation attribute is sufficient, since a  thread  need  never  be  dynamically  detached.
       However, need arises in at least two cases:

        1. In  a  cancellation  handler  for  a  pthread_join()  it is nearly essential to have a
           pthread_detach() function in order to detach the thread on  which  pthread_join()  was
           waiting.   Without  it,  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  the  handler  do  another
           pthread_join()  to  attempt  to  detach  the  thread,  which  would  both  delay   the
           cancellation  processing  for  an  unbounded  period  and  introduce  a  new  call  to
           pthread_join(), which might itself need a cancellation handler. A  dynamic  detach  is
           nearly essential in this case.

        2. In  order to detach the "initial thread" (as may be desirable in processes that set up
           server threads).

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

       None.

SEE ALSO

       pthread_join() , the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <pthread.h>

COPYRIGHT

       Portions of this text are reprinted and  reproduced  in  electronic  form  from  IEEE  Std
       1003.1,  2003  Edition,  Standard  for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System
       Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003  by
       the  Institute  of  Electrical  and  Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the
       event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE  and  The  Open  Group
       Standard,  the  original  IEEE  and  The  Open Group Standard is the referee document. The
       original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .