Linux: Process & Threads

• Threads share the address space of the process that created it; processes have their own address space. 
• Threads have direct access to the data segment of its process; processes have their own copy of the data segment of the parent process. 
• Threads can directly communicate with other threads of its process; processes must use inter process communication to communicate with sibling processes. 
• Threads have almost no overhead; processes have considerable overhead. 
• New threads are easily created; new processes require duplication of the parent process. 
• Threads can exercise considerable control over threads of the same process; processes can only exercise control over child processes. 
• Changes to the main thread (cancellation, priority change, etc.) may affect the behavior of the other threads of the process; changes to the parent process does not affect child processes.