Add support for halt-time

[alexanderbez]

closes: #4979

---

• Targeted PR against correct branch (see CONTRIBUTING.md)

• Linked to github-issue with discussion and accepted design OR link to spec that describes this work.

• Wrote tests

• Updated relevant documentation (docs/)

• Added a relevant changelog entry to the Unreleased section in CHANGELOG.md

• Re-reviewed Files changed in the github PR explorer

---

For Admin Use:

• Added appropriate labels to PR (ex. wip, ready-for-review, docs)
• Reviewers Assigned
• Squashed all commits, uses message "Merge pull request #XYZ: [title]" (coding standards)

[codecov]

Codecov Report

Merging #5005 into master will decrease coverage by 0.06%.
The diff coverage is 13.79%.

@@            Coverage Diff             @@
##           master    #5005      +/-   ##
==========================================
- Coverage   55.56%   55.49%   -0.07%     
==========================================
  Files         287      287              
  Lines       17521    17540      +19     
==========================================
- Hits         9735     9734       -1     
- Misses       7085     7105      +20     
  Partials      701      701

[fedekunze]

utACK. 1 minor nit not blocking

[alexanderbez]

@tnachen this is a great example of a non-breaking PR that we should get into the next point release (v0.37.1, v0.34.8, and v0.35.0)

[alessio]

I sketched an alternative solution based on goroutine cancellation, which should be a bit safer and cleaner as it does not rely on system-dependant signal implementations: #5010. Downside is that it would introduce a breaking change.

It is a draft and is not meant to replace this PR straightway. I think this PR works, it's not breaking and we should get on with it first, then perhaps work on #5010. Feedback is welcome