pthread_kill()

[Alby94]

Why this thread continue its execution though I kill it??

pthread_t pid;
pthread_create(&pid, NULL, (func)countdown, NULL);
pthread_kill(pid, 1);
pthread_join(pid, NULL);

[Cubbi]

pthread_kill doesn't kill anything, it sends a signal (SIGHUP in this case). The default handler is actually supposed to terminate the entire program: do you have a complete, compilable example?

(note that thread killing is very hard to do right: C++ doesn't even allow it)

[Alby94]

pthread_cancel(pid);

Can this function terminate this thread?

[Cubbi]

It can, under some conditions.
See docs
pthead_kill: http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/pthread_kill.html
pthread_cancel: http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/functions/pthread_cancel.html