FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.5.0_04"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0_04-b05)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0_04-b05, mixed mode, sharing)


ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux jks-desktop 2.6.12-1.1376_FC3 #1 Fri Aug 26 23:27:26 EDT 2005 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux


A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
If a Thread.start() throws an OutOfMemoryError because a native system thread couldn't be created, trying to call start() again results in a IllegalThreadStateException, even though the the thread never started.  I was not able to reduce the problem in jdk 1.4.2, so this seems to be a regressions.


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced often.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class ThreadSpinner {

    /** Tries to start a thread until successfull. */
    private static void start_thread(final Thread orig_t){
        Thread t = orig_t;
        boolean sent_off = false;
        int times_tried = 0;
        while (true) try{
            times_tried++;
            t.start();
            sent_off = true;
            break;
        } catch(IllegalThreadStateException e){
            e.printStackTrace();
            System.exit(1);
        }catch(OutOfMemoryError e){
            if (times_tried > 1)
                System.err.println("already tried "+times_tried+" times");
            t = new Thread(orig_t.getThreadGroup(), orig_t, orig_t.getName());
            try{ Thread.sleep(3000); }
            catch(InterruptedException e2){}
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args){
        ThreadGroup tg = new ThreadGroup("spun");

        final Object waiter = new Object();
        final long hour = 60 * 60 * 1000;

        int i = 0;

        while(true){
            i++;
            Runnable r = new Runnable(){
                    public void run(){
                        //try{ Thread.sleep(hour); } catch(Exception e){};
                        try{ waiter.wait(hour); } catch(Exception e){};
                    }};


            Thread t = new Thread(tg, r,"thread "+i,1000000);
            start_thread(t);
        }
    }
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Use a Runnable, so a new Thread can be created each time through the loop.