Final answer:
In Linux, two types of atomic operations are defined: integer operations and bitwise operations. These operations ensure thread-safe interactions by being indivisible and avoiding race conditions in multi-threaded environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two types of atomic operations are defined in Linux: integer operations and bitwise operations. Atomic operations are used in concurrent programming to ensure that a sequence of actions is performed without interruption, maintaining data integrity when multiple threads are accessing shared resources. Integer operations involve adding or subtracting values, while bitwise operations include actions like AND, OR, XOR, and bit shifting, which manipulate the bits within the variables directly.
These operations are crucial for achieving thread-safe interactions in a multi-threaded environment that is common in operating system kernels and high-performance applications running on Linux. Unlike compound operations that can be interrupted, atomic operations are indivisible and therefore provide a way to avoid race conditions without having to lock the entire data structure being accessed. Examples include atomic increment of a counter used to track resource usage or toggle a status flag within a shared configuration structure.