title: Linux: Why is sig_atomic_t typedef'ed to int?
body: <p>On my Linux box, <code>sig_atomic_t</code> is a plain old <code>int</code>. Do <code>ints</code> posses a special atomic quality?</p>
  
  <pre><code>$ gcc -v
  Using built-in specs.
  Target: x86_64-linux-gnu
  ...
  Thread model: posix
  gcc version 4.3.2 (Debian 4.3.2-1.1) 
  
  $ echo '#include &lt;signal.h&gt;' | gcc -E - | grep atomic
  typedef int __sig_atomic_t;
  typedef __sig_atomic_t sig_atomic_t;
  </code></pre>