[Python-Dev] free-threading (was: Safe destruction of recursive objects)

[Greg Stein]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2000, Tim Peters wrote:
>...
> It's a nice approach, but I'd rather see you put the bulk of the
> Py_TRASHCAN_SAFE_END macro into a real function or two, invoked from the
> macro.  This code is only going to get hairier if GregS takes up his
> free-threading quest again.  Like

Call it a guarantee that I'll be doing the free-threading again.

I won't start on it until, say, June or so, but I've outlined a number of
tasks in private email to Guido that could be done before the "hard core"
stuff starts. Over the weekend, I realized that I should post that "plan
of attack" to the thread-sig. Others may be interested in helping to move
the free-threading along.

Note that it is unclear whether free-threading will be a patch set against
1.6, or a ./configure option (and a set of #ifdefs) within the standard
distribution. I believe that it mostly depends on the timing of completing
the work vs. the timing of the 1.6 release (if I understand Guido
properly). This is part of the reason why I came up with an attack plan:
there are things that can be done, tested, and integrated into Python
without going full-on free-threading. (and thus minimizing any post-1.6
patch set)

I'll compose the email later this week...

Cheers,
-g

p.s. I'm personally motivated to do the free-threading again because I'm
going to write a mod_python for Apache 2.0. Apache 2.0 uses a threading
model (rather than a forking model) whenever it can. Thus, a mod_python
built against a free-threaded Python will offer far superior performance
compared to the global-lock version.

-- 
Greg Stein, http://www.lyra.org/