[New-bugs-announce] [issue28779] set_forkserver_preload() can crash the forkserver if preloaded module instantiate multiprocessing classes

[Antoine Pitrou]

New submission from Antoine Pitrou:

The following script:


import multiprocessing
import os

def f():
    pass

multiprocessing.Lock()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    ctx = multiprocessing.get_context('forkserver')
    # modname is the script's importable name (not "__main__")
    modname = os.path.basename(__file__).split(".")[0]
    ctx.set_forkserver_preload([modname])
    proc = ctx.Process(target=f)
    proc.start()
    proc.join()


Fails with the following error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/antoine/miniconda3/envs/dask35/lib/python3.5/multiprocessing/forkserver.py", line 178, in main
    _serve_one(s, listener, alive_r, handler)
  File "/home/antoine/miniconda3/envs/dask35/lib/python3.5/multiprocessing/forkserver.py", line 212, in _serve_one
    code = spawn._main(child_r)
  File "/home/antoine/miniconda3/envs/dask35/lib/python3.5/multiprocessing/spawn.py", line 115, in _main
    prepare(preparation_data)
  File "/home/antoine/miniconda3/envs/dask35/lib/python3.5/multiprocessing/spawn.py", line 221, in prepare
    set_start_method(data['start_method'])
  File "/home/antoine/miniconda3/envs/dask35/lib/python3.5/multiprocessing/context.py", line 231, in set_start_method
    raise RuntimeError('context has already been set')
RuntimeError: context has already been set


This makes set_forkserver_preload() quite fragile if you preload any library that may create multiprocessing resources (such as locks) at the top level.

----------
components: Library (Lib)
messages: 281565
nosy: davin, pitrou, sbt
priority: normal
severity: normal
stage: needs patch
status: open
title: set_forkserver_preload() can crash the forkserver if preloaded module instantiate multiprocessing classes
type: behavior
versions: Python 3.5, Python 3.6, Python 3.7

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue28779>
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