How can I use timeouts to prevent deadlocks?

How can I use timeouts to prevent deadlocks?

You can use timeouts by setting a maximum wait time for acquiring locks. If the lock isn't acquired within that time, the process can either retry or abort.

Can you give me an example of how to implement this in code?

Sure! In Python, you can use the threading module's Lock with a timeout like this:

import threading

lock = threading.Lock()

if lock.acquire(timeout=5):
    try:
        # critical section
    finally:
        lock.release()
else:
    print('Could not acquire lock, avoiding deadlock.')

What happens if I don't use timeouts?

Without timeouts, your program could end up in a deadlock situation where two or more processes are waiting indefinitely for each other to release locks.

Are there any other strategies to prevent deadlocks?

Yes, other strategies include lock ordering, using a deadlock detection algorithm, and resource allocation graphs.