What are pthreads and how do mutexes work?

Can you explain what pthreads are?

Pthreads, or POSIX threads, are a standard for multithreading in C/C++. They allow concurrent execution of code.

How do mutexes work in pthreads?

Mutexes, or mutual exclusions, are used to prevent data races by allowing only one thread to access a resource at a time.

Can you give an example of using a mutex?

Sure! You can use pthread_mutex_lock() to lock a mutex before accessing shared data and pthread_mutex_unlock() to release it.

What happens if a thread forgets to unlock a mutex?

If a thread forgets to unlock a mutex, it can lead to deadlocks, where other threads are blocked indefinitely.