building block for real-time systems. Implement functions
@func{thread_set_priority} to set the priority of the running thread
and @func{thread_get_priority} to get the running thread's priority.
-(A thread can examine and modify only its own priority.) There are
-already prototypes for these functions in @file{threads/thread.h},
-which you should not change.
+(This API only allows a thread to examine and modify its own
+priority.) There are already prototypes for these functions in
+@file{threads/thread.h}, which you should not change.
Thread priority ranges from @code{PRI_MIN} (0) to @code{PRI_MAX} (59).
The initial thread priority is passed as an argument to
than the currently running thread, the current thread should
immediately yield the processor to the new thread. Similarly, when
threads are waiting for a lock, semaphore or condition variable, the
-highest priority waiting thread should be woken up first. A thread's
-priority may be set at any time, including while the thread is waiting
-on a lock, semaphore, or condition variable.
+highest priority waiting thread should be woken up first. A thread
+may set its priority at any time.
One issue with priority scheduling is ``priority inversion'': if a
high priority thread needs to wait for a low priority thread (for
Don't worry about the possibility of timer values overflowing. Timer
values are expressed as signed 63-bit numbers, which at 100 ticks per
second should be good for almost 2,924,712,087 years.
+
+@item
+@b{The test program mostly works but reports a few out-of-order
+wake ups. I think it's a problem in the test program. What gives?}
+
+This test is inherently full of race conditions. On a real system it
+wouldn't work perfectly all the time either. However, you can help it
+work more reliably:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Make time slices longer by increasing @code{TIME_SLICE} in
+@file{timer.c} to a large value, such as 100.
+
+@item
+Make the timer tick more slowly by decreasing @code{TIMER_FREQ} in
+@file{timer.h} to its minimum value of 19.
+
+@item
+Increase the serial output speed to the maximum of 115,200 bps by
+modifying the call to @func{set_serial} in @func{serial_init_poll} in
+@file{devices/serial.c}.
+@end itemize
+
+The former two changes are only desirable for testing problem 1-1. You
+should revert them before working on other parts of the project or turn
+in the project. The latter is harmless, so you can retain it or revert
+it at your option.
@end enumerate
@node Problem 1-2 Join FAQ