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Mutex: Difference between revisions
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'''Mutex''' (''abbreviated'' '''Mut'''ually '''Ex'''clusive access) is a synchronization object, a variant of [[semaphore]] with ''k''=1. Mutex is said to be seized by a [[task]] decreasing ''k''. It is released when the task restores ''k''. Mutexes are typically used to protect a shared resource from concurrent access. A [[task]] seizes the mutex, then accesses the resource, and after that releases the mutex.
Mutex is a low-level synchronization primitive exposed to deadlocking. A deadlock can be constructed already with two tasks and two mutexes. Entering the deadlock is usually aggravated by a [[race condition]] state, which leads to sporadic hangups, very difficult to track down.
==Variants of mutexes==
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