c - semaphore implementation

Question

I am getting error in the following program. I want to demonstrate how two processes can share a variable using semaphore. Can anyone guide me?

I am not able to debug the errors...

#include<stdlib.h>
#include<stdio.h>
#include<unistd.h>
#include<sys/ipc.h>
#include<sys/sem.h>
#include<semaphore.h>
int main()
{
  int pid,mutex=1;
  int semid;               /* semid of semaphore set */
  key_t key = 1234; /* key to pass to semget() */
  int nsems = 1; /* nsems to pass to semget() */
  semid=semget(key,nsems,IPC_CREAT|0666);
  if (semid<0) 
  { 
    perror("Semaphore creation failed ");
  }
  if ((pid = fork()) < 0) 
  {
    perror("fork");
    return 1;
  }
  else if(pid==0)
  {
    sem_wait(&semid);
    printf("IN CHILD PROCESS :
");
    mutex++; 
    printf("value of shared variable =%d",mutex);
    sem_post(&semid);
    return 0;
  }
  sem_wait(&semid);
  printf("IN PARENT PROCESS :
");
  mutex--;
  printf("value of shared variable =%d",mutex);
  sem_post(&semid);
  return 0;
} 

Answer 1

Your Fundamentals are wrong, the program won't work, so go through the basics and rewrite the program.

Some of the corrections you must make are:

1) You must make a variable of semaphore type

sem_t semvar;

2) The functions sem_wait(), sem_post() require the semaphore variable but you are passing the semaphore id, which makes no sense.

sem_wait(&semvar);
   //your critical section code
sem_post(&semvar);

3) You are passing the semaphore to sem_wait() and sem_post() without initializing it. You must initialize it to 1 (in your case) before using it, or you will have a deadlock.

ret = semctl( semid, 1, SETVAL, sem);
if (ret == 1)
     perror("Semaphore failed to initialize");

Study the semaphore API's from the man page and go through this example.