Difference between Preemptive and Cooperative Multitasking in Multithreading - Interview Question

Preemptive multitasking is a technique in which the operating system decides when a task is to be interrupted and switched to another task, without requiring the cooperation of the tasks. This allows for more efficient task management and can prevent a single task from monopolizing the system resources.

On the other hand, cooperative multitasking requires explicit cooperation from the tasks themselves to yield control to other tasks. In this approach, tasks voluntarily give up control to let other tasks run, which can lead to potential issues if a task refuses to yield control or gets stuck in a loop without allowing other tasks to execute.

Both preemptive and cooperative multitasking have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them often depends on the specific requirements of the system being developed.

Understanding the difference between preemptive and cooperative multitasking is essential for Multithreading concepts and for succeeding in interviews related to software development and system design.