[FFmpeg-devel] Threading issue with avcodec_decode_video2 ?

[Michael Niedermayer]

On Sat, Oct 27, 2012 at 12:59:37AM -0400, Don Moir wrote:
> >I load up multiple instances of the same file. These are used for
> >playback, thumbnails, and other things. Each is in a separate
> >thread with their own context, variables, etc.
> >
> >We noticed a crash when decoding WMV3 files. It's was a rare event so hard to track down.
> >
> >Recently I put some code in to help find the problem. It seems
> >that avcodec_decode_video2 is not thread safe at least for WMV3
> >decoding.
> >
> >I have disable-pthreads set. I use av_lockmgr_register and see it
> >allows a lock for avformat and avcodec. The lock for avcodec never
> >gets called.
> >
> >If I put a lock around avcodec_decode_video2, the problem goes
> >away. After several crashes that led nowhere, I isolated it to
> >avcodec_decode_video2.
> >
> >Shouldn't related decoders be setting the lock via the lock manager if needed ?
> >
> >I don't want to have to lock the entire avcodec_decode_video2 call
> >and lock should be special cased for each decoder and so I am left
> >wondering.
> >
> 
> Looks like the call to ff_msmpeg4_decode_init is causing the problem.
> 
> About midway down in vc1_decode_frame you will see:
> 
> if (ff_msmpeg4_decode_init(avctx) < 0 || ff_vc1_decode_init_alloc_tables(v) < 0)
> 
> I added avpriv_lock_avcodec and avpriv_unlock_avcodec and wrapped
> ff_msmpeg4_decode_init(avctx) with a lock and problem went away. So
> there may be more to it but can't get it to crash anymore.
> ff_vc1_decode_init_alloc_tables(v) appears to be ok.
> 
> The scary part is what about the other decoders. I have not noticed
> a problem outside of this though. There could also be a way to fix
> it without using a lock but didn't look further.

thanks for pointing me to these functions, they indeed had some
thread saftey bugs.
should be fixed, does it work without the lock now ?

[...]
-- 
Michael     GnuPG fingerprint: 9FF2128B147EF6730BADF133611EC787040B0FAB

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend
to be. -- Socrates
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 198 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
URL: <http://ffmpeg.org/pipermail/ffmpeg-devel/attachments/20121027/b3d429a7/attachment.asc>