PTHREAD_DETACH(3) | Library Functions Manual | PTHREAD_DETACH(3)

# NAME

`pthread_detach` — detach a thread

# SYNOPSIS

POSIX Threads Library (libpthread, -lpthread)
`#include <pthread.h>`

int
`pthread_detach`(pthread_t thread);

# DESCRIPTION

The `pthread_detach`() function is used to indicate to the implementation that storage for the thread thread can be reclaimed when the thread terminates. If thread has not terminated, `pthread_detach`() will not cause it to terminate. The effect of multiple `pthread_detach`() calls on the same target thread is unspecified.

# RETURN VALUES

If successful, the `pthread_detach`() function will return zero. Otherwise an error number will be returned to indicate the error. Note that the function does not change the value of errno as it did for some drafts of the standard. These early drafts also passed a pointer to pthread_t as the argument. Beware!

# ERRORS

`pthread_detach`() will fail if:

[`EINVAL`]
  The implementation has detected that the value specified by thread does not refer to a joinable thread.
[`ESRCH`]
  No thread could be found corresponding to that specified by the given thread ID, thread.

# SEE ALSO

pthread_join(3)

# STANDARDS

`pthread_detach`() conforms to ISO/IEC 9945-1:1996 (“POSIX.1”).

June 7, 2025 | Debian