errno 58 (EOWNERDEAD): meaning and diagnosis

Status / error code:		Category:

Constant name:
Source:		Operating System:
Description: Solaris acquired a robust mutex whose previous owner died before unlocking it.

Could be also:
Constant	Type	OS
ERROR_BAD_NET_RESP	Win32 error	Windows
EDEADLOCK	errno	Linux
ESHUTDOWN	errno	Mac
SYSTEM_UNWIND_PREVIOUS_USER	BugCheck Code	Windows

EOWNERDEAD

Robust mutex recovery

On Solaris, EOWNERDEAD is errno value 58. The base message is process died with the lock, but the useful diagnostic context is narrower than the short message: solaris acquired a robust mutex whose previous owner died before unlocking it.

Use the Solaris-specific errno table first, then compare with POSIX only for portable behavior. Some Solaris values share names with other UNIX systems but have different numbers or more specific historical meanings.

What to check

The protected state may be inconsistent and must be repaired before the mutex is marked consistent.
If recovery cannot be completed, later lockers can see ENOTRECOVERABLE.
Log the protected object, not only the mutex address.

References

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