A User Mode Deadlock Detection Method for Linux Operating System

Deadlock is a common concurrent program defect. Most of the existing deadlock detection methods are for a particular type of lock, and require the source code of the program being detected. This paper proposes a deadlock detection method for Linux user mode mutexes, semaphores, read-write locks, and spin locks. This method hijacks the function calls of the underlying library of the operating system, collects the thread application/release of resources, and indicates the call chain with deadlock by detecting the loop in the resource allocation graph. Test results show that this method can conveniently detect user mode deadlocks dynamically during the operation of the operating system without modifying the source code of the application.