What are some examples of using mutex in Python?

Can you explain what a mutex is in Python?

A mutex, or mutual exclusion, is a synchronization primitive that prevents multiple threads from accessing shared resources simultaneously.

Can you give me an example of how to implement a mutex in Python?

Sure! You can use the threading module. Here's a simple example:

import threading

# Create a mutex
mutex = threading.Lock()

# Shared resource
shared_resource = 0

def thread_function():
    global shared_resource
    mutex.acquire()  # Acquire the mutex
    try:
        # Modify the shared resource
        shared_resource += 1
    finally:
        mutex.release()  # Always release the mutex

# Create threads
threads = [threading.Thread(target=thread_function) for _ in range(10)]

# Start threads
for thread in threads:
    thread.start()

# Wait for all threads to finish
for thread in threads:
    thread.join()

print(shared_resource)  # Should print 10

What happens if I forget to release the mutex?

If you forget to release the mutex, it can lead to a deadlock situation where other threads are blocked indefinitely, waiting for the mutex to be released.