linux-kernel

Creation and usage of Kernel Threads

Introduction#

This topic discusses how to create and use kernel threads.

Creation of kernel threads

kern_thread.c

#include <linux/module.h>
#include <linux/kernel.h>
#include <linux/init.h>
#include <linux/kthread.h>
#include <linux/sched.h>

#define AUTHOR        "Nachiket Kulkarni"
#define DESCRIPTION    "Simple module that demonstrates creation of 2 kernel threads"

static int kthread_func(void *arg)
{
/* Every kthread has a struct task_struct associated with it which is it's identifier.
* Whenever a thread is schedule for execution, the kernel sets "current" pointer to 
* it's struct task_struct.
* current->comm is the name of the command that caused creation of this thread
* current->pid is the process of currently executing thread 
*/
    printk(KERN_INFO "I am thread: %s[PID = %d]\n", current->comm, current->pid);
    return 0;
}

static int __init init_func(void)
{
    struct task_struct *ts1;
    struct task_struct *ts2;
    int err;

    printk(KERN_INFO "Starting 2 threads\n");

/*struct task_struct *kthread_create(int (*threadfn)(void *data), void *data, \
 *                         const char *namefmt, ...);
 * This function creates a kernel thread and starts the thread.
 */
    ts1 = kthread_run(kthread_func, NULL, "thread-1");
    if (IS_ERR(ts1)) {
        printk(KERN_INFO "ERROR: Cannot create thread ts1\n");
        err = PTR_ERR(ts1);
        ts1 = NULL;
        return err;
    }

    ts1 = kthread_run(kthread_func, NULL, "thread-1");
    if (IS_ERR(ts1)) {
        printk(KERN_INFO "ERROR: Cannot create thread ts1\n");
        err = PTR_ERR(ts1);
        ts1 = NULL;
        return err;
    }

    printk(KERN_INFO "I am thread: %s[PID = %d]\n", current->comm, current->pid);
    return 0;
}

static void __exit exit_func(void)
{
    printk(KERN_INFO "Exiting the module\n");
}

module_init(init_func);
module_exit(exit_func);

MODULE_AUTHOR(AUTHOR);
MODULE_DESCRIPTION(MODULE_AUTHOR);
MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");

Makefile

obj-m += kern_thread.o

all:
    make -C /lib/module/$(shell uname -r)/build M=$(PWD) modules
clean:
    make -C /lib/module/$(shell uname -r)/build M=$(PWD) clean

Upon inserting the .ko, it printed:

Starting 2 threads
I am thread: thread-1[PID = 6786]
I am thread: insmod[PID = 6785]
I am thread: thread-2[PID = 6788]

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