PK64852: NEW FUNCTION

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as new function.

Error description

• New Function APAR.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All C/C++ applications that use pipes or     *
  *                 sockets to communicate between processes.    *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: A hang condition may occur between two  *
  *                      processes that use pipes or sockets for *
  *                      communication.                          *
  *                                                              *
  *                      The following is a scenario of an       *
  *                      example where the hang may occur:       *
  *                                                              *
  *                      A parent and child process are using    *
  *                      pipes for communication purposes.  The  *
  *                      child process wants to send a prompt to *
  *                      the parent process and then read the    *
  *                      response.  The parent must see the      *
  *                      prompt, capture a response, and then    *
  *                      send the response back to the child.    *
  *                      If the child sends the prompt without a *
  *                      trailing newline or without calling     *
  *                      fflush, the prompt is never placed into *
  *                      the pipe for the parent to read.  The   *
  *                      child then tries to read the response.  *
  *                      The application hangs (parent cannot    *
  *                      read the prompt that it needs to        *
  *                      respond to and the child cannot read    *
  *                      the response from the parent).          *
  *                                                              *
  *                      The same problem exists when sockets    *
  *                      are used in the scenario described      *
  *                      above.                                  *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  See problem description.
  

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

Comments

• The following documentation update is required in the z/OS
  XL C/C++ Programming Guide. Document number SC09-4765-08 and
  newer versions.
  
  
  Chapter 31. Using environment variables
  
  AFTER _EDC_ERRNO_DIAG
  
  ADD THE FOLLOWING:
  
  _EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_PIPE
  Flush the stdout stream when the stdin stream is being read when
  both are pipes.
  
  ADD THE FOLLOWING:
  
  _EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_SOCKET
  Flush the stdout stream when the stdin stream is being read when
  both are sockets.
  
  
  Chapter 31.  Using environment variables
  
  In Topic: Environment variables specific to the z/OS XL C/C++
            library
  Section:  The z/OS XL C/C++ specific environment variables may
            be set with the setenv() function.
  In Subtopics:
  after  _EDC_ERRNO_DIAG
  insert _EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_PIPE
  insert _EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_SOCKET
  
  
  Chapter 31.  Using environment variables
  
  Section 4.12.2.nn
  
  AFTER _EDC_ERRNO_DIAG
  
  ADD THE FOLLOWING:
  
  _EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_PIPE
  Instructs the C runtime library to flush the stdout stream
  when the stdin stream is being read from.  Both stdin and stdout
  must be pipes.
  
  _EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_PIPE is set with the command:
   setenv("_EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_PIPE","YES",1);
  
  Usage scenario:
  The purpose of this environment variable is to better facilitate
  communication between two processes that use pipes.  The child
  process is using stdin for the read end of one pipe and stdout
  for the write end of a different pipe.  The parent process has
  the opposite ends of the pipes.  The following is a possible
  example of the communication:
  The child process wants to send a prompt to the parent process
  and then read the response.  The parent must see the prompt,
  capture a response, and then send the response back to the
  child.  If the child sends the prompt without a trailing
  newline or without calling fflush, the prompt is never placed
  into the pipe for the parent to read.  The child then tries to
  read the response from stdin.  The application hangs (parent
  cannot read the prompt that it needs to respond to and the
  child cannot read the response from the parent).  With the
  environment variable set to YES, the read from stdin will flush
  the stdout buffer.  This allows the parent to see the prompt,
  respond, then send the response back to the child who is waiting
  on the read.  Since the data comes back from the parent, the
  child reads the response and continues.  It should be mentioned
  that the parent process must do a read() from the pipe so that
  it can receive whatever data might be there without having to
  wait for a specific number of bytes or a newline character.
  Functions like fread() and fgets() will hang unless the child
  wrote enough bytes or the newline character to stdout.
  
  ADD THE FOLLOWING:
  
  _EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_SOCKET
  Instructs the C runtime library to flush the stdout stream
  when the stdin stream is being read from.  Both stdin and stdout
  must be sockets.
  
  _EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_SOCKET is set with the command:
   setenv("_EDC_FLUSH_STDOUT_SOCKET","YES",1);
  
  Usage scenario:
  The purpose of this environment variable is to better facilitate
  communication between two processes that use sockets.  The child
  process is using stdin for the read end of one socket and stdout
  for the write end of a different socket.  The parent process has
  the opposite ends of the sockets.  The following is a possible
  example of the communication:
  The child process wants to send a prompt to the parent process
  and then read the response.  The parent must see the prompt,
  capture a response, and then send the response back to the
  child.  If the child sends the prompt without a trailing
  newline or without calling fflush, the prompt is never placed
  into the socket for the parent to read.  The child then tries to
  read the response from stdin.  The application hangs (parent
  cannot read the prompt that it needs to respond to and the
  child cannot read the response from the parent).  With the
  environment variable set to YES, the read from stdin will flush
  the stdout buffer.  This allows the parent to see the prompt,
  respond, then send the response back to the child who is waiting
  on the read.  Since the data comes back from the parent, the
  child reads the response and continues.  It should be mentioned
  that the parent process must do a read() from the socket so that
  it can receive whatever data might be there without having to
  wait for a specific number of bytes or a newline character.
  Functions like fread() and fgets() will hang unless the child
  wrote enough bytes or the newline character to stdout.
  

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• CELHCINT CELHGTNV CELHP124 CELHP125 CELJGTNV
  CELQGTNV CELQINC  CELQP124 CELQP125 CELXCEDB CELZGTNV CTABLE
  EDCCEDB  EDC40072 EDC4009F EDC4024D EDC4024E HFSIO
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  LE C LIBRARY

• Fixed component ID

  568819805

Applicable component levels

• R740 PSY UK48678

     UP09/08/13 P F908

• R750 PSY UK48679

     UP09/08/13 P F908

• R760 PSY UK48680

     UP09/08/13 P F908

Fix is available

• Select the PTF appropriate for your component level. You will be required to sign in. Distribution on physical media is not available in all countries.