[chuck-users] dangerous games with shreds

[Kassen]

2008/11/10 Stefan Blixt <stefan.blixt at gmail.com>

> Hmm.. wasn't some kind of watchdog thing added to catch stuff like this:
> while (true) {
> }
>
> ...? That ought to catch Eduard's problem as well, I would think. Maybe
> it's some kind of option to the chuck application?
>

Well, the watchdog doesn't actually catch stuff like that. What I think the
Watchdog does is check for the VM being very late delivering samples to the
soundcard and if/when it is it offers you to abort the current shred (being
the one that has the CPU at that time.

For me on Linux in the Mini (I just tried) the watchdog does catch Eduard's
code.

Watchdog will also "catch" situations that are kosher yet take a lot of CPU,
for example a big calculation meant to fill a sound buffer or something
along those lines. In that case it may make sense not to abort the Shred and
simply wait while dreaming of a faster computer.

Interestingly, when something claims the whole soundcard while the Mini is
running (Skype just did this for me yesterday) it will aparently prevent the
Mini from handing out samples, even with a empty VM, and watchdog will offer
to remove the current shred even if there is none.

Wtachdog is a very simple tool, a emergency break. It's no substitute for
analysing code nor could it be.

I hope that helps,
Kas.
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