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fix(macos): avoid camera-permission deadlock when opening off the main thread#56

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fix/macos-camera-permission-deadlock
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fix(macos): avoid camera-permission deadlock when opening off the main thread#56
LeeGoDamn wants to merge 6 commits into
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fix/macos-camera-permission-deadlock

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@LeeGoDamn LeeGoDamn commented Jun 24, 2026

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Problem

ProviderApple::open() requested camera authorization by dispatching the request onto the main dispatch queue for non-main-thread callers, then blocking on a semaphore (DISPATCH_TIME_FOREVER):

if (![NSThread isMainThread]) {
    dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{ requestAccess(); });
} else {
    requestAccess();
}
dispatch_semaphore_wait(sema, DISPATCH_TIME_FOREVER);

When nothing is servicing the main queue — e.g. a ccap::Provider opened from a worker thread in a process with no CFRunLoop on its main thread (a Node.js/Electron addon, a head-less multi-threaded service) — the dispatched block never runs, so the permission request is never even issued and open() hangs forever. It is not "waiting for the user to decide"; the prompt is never shown, so no progress is possible.

This stayed dormant because the shipping paths don't hit it:

  • Main-thread callers (CLI, examples) take the else branch — no dispatch, no deadlock.
  • Apps with a running run loop (GUI/iOS) service the main queue, so the block runs.

It bites exactly the off-main-thread + no-run-loop context, which is what a native Node binding (libuv worker thread, no CFRunLoop) creates — relevant to where this library is headed.

Fix

requestAccessForMediaType: may be called from any thread and delivers its completion on an internal queue, so the main-queue hop is unnecessary. The "start an async request and block until it completes" logic is extracted into ccap::runBlockingAsyncRequest() (src/ccap_apple_async.h), which runs the request on the calling thread and waits on a portable std::condition_variable.

The blocking "wait until the user decides" behavior is preserved (the wait still blocks indefinitely for the user's response) — only the deadlock-prone main-queue dispatch is removed.

Test (runs in CI)

tests/test_apple_permission.cpp is a deterministic regression test that drives the real helper with a simulated async request — a countdown that fires the completion from a background thread, exactly how requestAccessForMediaType: delivers its completion off the caller's run loop. No camera required.

  • It builds into the existing ccap_convert_test aggregate, so it runs in the macOS "Run Full Test Suite" CI job via ./run_tests.sh --functional.
  • Empty translation unit on non-Apple platforms.

Verified locally (Apple toolchain):

Check Result
libccap.a compiles with the change (ARC)
ccap_convert_test builds with the new test
AppleCameraPermission.* run & pass under ASAN ✅ (55 ms / 53 ms)
Negative control (re-add main-queue dispatch) → off-main-thread test deadlocks/fails ✅ proves the test catches the regression
[ RUN      ] AppleCameraPermission.OffMainThreadWithoutRunLoopDoesNotDeadlock
[       OK ] AppleCameraPermission.OffMainThreadWithoutRunLoopDoesNotDeadlock (55 ms)
[ RUN      ] AppleCameraPermission.MainThreadDoesNotDeadlock
[       OK ] AppleCameraPermission.MainThreadDoesNotDeadlock (53 ms)
[  PASSED  ] 2 tests.

Scope

macOS only. No public API change. Behavior for main-thread callers is unchanged.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Summary by CodeRabbit

  • New Features

    • Added Apple-only support for safely waiting on callback-based async operations until completion is signaled (without requiring a run loop).
  • Bug Fixes

    • Updated the Apple camera permission request flow to prevent cases where the app could wait indefinitely.
  • Tests

    • Added an Apple-only regression test covering both async (worker-thread) and synchronous completion scenarios.
  • Chores

    • Improved Windows CI stability by pinning VS2022 runners and adjusting CMake generator/toolset fallback behavior.

…n thread

ProviderApple::open() requested camera authorization by dispatching the request
onto the main dispatch queue for non-main-thread callers, then blocking on a
semaphore. When nothing services the main queue -- e.g. a ccap::Provider opened
from a worker thread in a process with no CFRunLoop on its main thread (a
Node.js/Electron addon, a head-less multi-threaded service) -- the dispatched
block never runs, so the permission request is never even issued and open()
hangs forever. Main-thread callers and apps with a running run loop were
unaffected, which is why this stayed dormant.

requestAccessForMediaType: may be called from any thread and delivers its
completion on an internal queue, so the main-queue hop is unnecessary. Extract
the "start an async request and block until it completes" logic into
ccap::runBlockingAsyncRequest() (src/ccap_apple_async.h), which runs the request
on the calling thread and waits on a portable condition variable. The blocking
"wait until the user decides" behavior is preserved; only the deadlock-prone
main-queue dispatch is removed.

Add tests/test_apple_permission.cpp: a deterministic regression test that drives
the real helper with a simulated async request (a countdown firing the
completion from a background thread) and asserts the wait does not deadlock when
invoked off the main thread with no run loop. It builds into the existing
ccap_convert_test aggregate, so it runs in the macOS CI "Run Full Test Suite"
job (./run_tests.sh --functional); it is an empty translation unit elsewhere.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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ℹ️ Review info
⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: Organization UI

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

Run ID: daa7f189-306d-465a-9b9f-1a600b823708

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between bd4e03c and dda3119.

📒 Files selected for processing (2)
  • .github/workflows/windows-build.yml
  • tests/test_file_playback.cpp

Walkthrough

Adds an Apple-only blocking helper for callback-based async requests, uses it for camera permission access on macOS, adds regression coverage for synchronous and asynchronous completion, and updates Windows build jobs and generator settings.

Changes

Apple Async Blocking Helper

Layer / File(s) Summary
Blocking helper header
src/ccap_apple_async.h
Adds a __APPLE__-guarded inline ccap::runBlockingAsyncRequest implementation using std::mutex, std::condition_variable, and a finished flag.
Camera permission wait integration
src/ccap_imp_apple.mm
Adds the new helper include and <functional>, then replaces the semaphore-based permission wait in CameraCaptureObjc::open with ccap::runBlockingAsyncRequest around requestAccessForMediaType.
Deadlock regression test
tests/test_apple_permission.cpp, tests/CMakeLists.txt
Adds an Apple-only GoogleTest file covering asynchronous and synchronous completion cases, and registers it in ccap_convert_test.

Windows Build Workflow Update

Layer / File(s) Summary
Runner image updates
.github/workflows/windows-build.yml
The VS2022 jobs run on windows-2022 and keep the added comments in the workflow definitions.
VS2026 generator fallback
.github/workflows/windows-build.yml
The VS2026 configure step removes -T v144 from the primary and fallback CMake generator invocations.

Estimated code review effort

🎯 3 (Moderate) | ⏱️ ~20 minutes

Poem

🐇 Hop hop, the camera waits no more,
A mutex and CV unlock the door.
Windows jobs scoot to steadier ground,
And bunny-approved tests go round and round.

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5
✅ Passed checks (5 passed)
Check name Status Explanation
Description Check ✅ Passed Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check ✅ Passed The title clearly and concisely summarizes the main macOS deadlock fix when opening off the main thread.
Docstring Coverage ✅ Passed Docstring coverage is 83.33% which is sufficient. The required threshold is 80.00%.
Linked Issues check ✅ Passed Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check ✅ Passed Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.

✏️ Tip: You can configure your own custom pre-merge checks in the settings.

✨ Finishing Touches
🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)
  • Create PR with unit tests
  • Commit unit tests in branch fix/macos-camera-permission-deadlock

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Actionable comments posted: 1

🤖 Prompt for all review comments with AI agents
Verify each finding against current code. Fix only still-valid issues, skip the
rest with a brief reason, keep changes minimal, and validate.

Inline comments:
In `@tests/test_apple_permission.cpp`:
- Around line 53-73: The timeout helper in the permission test can still hang
because the inline body path bypasses any real watchdog and the detached worker
keeps a reference to donePromise after return. Update the helper around the body
lambda and worker thread handling so the “main thread” case is exercised under
an external watchdog/subprocess rather than directly inline, and move the
promise/shared state to heap-managed storage before any detach so late
completion cannot access a freed reference.
🪄 Autofix (Beta)

Fix all unresolved CodeRabbit comments on this PR:

  • Push a commit to this branch (recommended)
  • Create a new PR with the fixes

ℹ️ Review info
⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: Organization UI

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

Run ID: 68d40a48-1016-433a-891a-46a752deddc8

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 0d1a0f7 and fc618ea.

📒 Files selected for processing (4)
  • src/ccap_apple_async.h
  • src/ccap_imp_apple.mm
  • tests/CMakeLists.txt
  • tests/test_apple_permission.cpp

Comment thread tests/test_apple_permission.cpp Outdated
wysaid and others added 5 commits June 25, 2026 02:12
Address review feedback on the regression test harness:
- Always run the code under test on a worker thread with the watchdog on the
  calling thread, so a deadlock regression fails via a clean timeout instead of
  hanging the test binary (the previous inline main-thread path bypassed it).
- Keep the completion promise on the heap (shared_ptr) shared with the worker,
  so a late completion after a timeout/detach cannot touch freed stack state.
- Replace the redundant main-thread sanity case (the helper is thread-agnostic)
  with a synchronous-completion case that guards against a missed wakeup.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
…image

windows-latest now resolves to windows-2025-vs2026, which ships Visual Studio
2026 (v18) only. Two breakages resulted, red on every PR regardless of content:

- The VS2022 jobs configure with -G "Visual Studio 17 2022", which can no longer
  find a VS instance. Pin them to runs-on: windows-2022 (still ships VS 2022);
  VS 2026 is covered by the dedicated build-vs2026 job.
- The VS2026 job forced -T v144, which makes MSBuild fail to resolve
  VCTargetsPath on the VS 2026 image. Drop the toolset override and let CMake use
  the default toolset that ships with the "Visual Studio 18 2026" generator.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
The VS2026 shared-library linking test searched for vcvars64.bat under
"Microsoft Visual Studio\2026", but VS 2026 installs under a version folder
("Microsoft Visual Studio\18\Enterprise"). The find returned nothing, so the
step fell through and exited 1 even though the DLL built fine. Search the whole
Visual Studio directory instead, matching the VS2022 linking test.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
CurrentTime is the wall-clock playback position, so grabbing buffered frames
faster/slower than real-time (common on shared CI runners) makes (time2 - time1)
deviate from 5/frameRate in both directions. The previous symmetric +/-50%
EXPECT_NEAR failed (near-)consistently on the windows-2022 runner while passing
on windows-2025. Keep the forward-progress assertion (EXPECT_GT) and replace the
brittle tolerance with a generous upper bound; deterministic progression is
already covered by GetCurrentFrameIndexProgression.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
The VS2026 configure step used "mkdir -p" under PowerShell, where mkdir maps to
New-Item, which errors when the directory already exists. On a build-cache hit
the restored build/<config> directory is present, so configure failed
intermittently (cache miss passed, cache hit failed). Use
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force, matching the VS2022 job.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

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3 participants