diff src/alloc.c @ 83232:5e454dd0d649

Merged in changes from CVS trunk. Patches applied: * [e-mail]--gnu-2004/emacs--cvs-trunk--0--patch-715 Update from CVS * [e-mail]--gnu-2004/emacs--cvs-trunk--0--patch-716 Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 * [e-mail]--gnu-2004/emacs--cvs-trunk--0--patch-717 Update from CVS * [e-mail]--gnu-2004/emacs--cvs-trunk--0--patch-718 RCS keyword removal * [e-mail]--gnu-2004/emacs--cvs-trunk--0--patch-719 Update from CVS * [e-mail]--gnu-2004/gnus--rel--5.10--patch-74 Update from CVS git-archimport-id: [e-mail]--2004/emacs--multi-tty--0--patch-272

--- a/src/alloc.c	Wed Dec 08 22:20:27 2004 +0000
+++ b/src/alloc.c	Wed Dec 08 22:21:07 2004 +0000
@@ -91,6 +91,23 @@
 
 #if ! defined (SYSTEM_MALLOC) && defined (HAVE_GTK_AND_PTHREAD)
 
+/* When GTK uses the file chooser dialog, different backends can be loaded
+   dynamically.  One such a backend is the Gnome VFS backend that gets loaded
+   if you run Gnome.  That backend creates several threads and also allocates
+   memory with malloc.
+
+   If Emacs sets malloc hooks (! SYSTEM_MALLOC) and the emacs_blocked_*
+   functions below are called from malloc, there is a chance that one
+   of these threads preempts the Emacs main thread and the hook variables
+   end up in a inconsistent state.  So we have a mutex to prevent that (note
+   that the backend handles concurrent access to malloc within its own threads
+   but Emacs code running in the main thread is not included in that control).
+
+   When UNBLOCK_INPUT is called, revoke_input_signal may be called.  If this
+   happens in one of the backend threads we will have two threads that tries
+   to run Emacs code at once, and the code is not prepared for that.
+   To prevent that, we only call BLOCK/UNBLOCK from the main thread.  */
+
 static pthread_mutex_t alloc_mutex;
 pthread_t main_thread;