[Python-Dev] large file support

[Jeremy Hylton]

>>>>> "GvR" == Guido van Rossum <guido@python.org> writes:

  >> I've run into a problem with large files using Python 2.1.2 and a
  >> Linux 2.4.9 box.  We've got a large file -- almost 6GB -- that
  >> Python chokes on even though regular shell tools seem to be fine.

  GvR> Was this Python configured for large file support?  I think you
  GvR> have to turn that on somehow, and then everything is automatic.

Indeed, I think my message ought to be mostly disregarded :-).  I was
told that Python had been built with large file support, but didn't
test it myself.

However, I'm still unhappy with one thing related to large file
support.  If you've got a Python that doesn't have large file support
and you try os.path.exists() on a large file, it will return false.
This is really bad!  Imagine you've got code that says, if the file
doesn't exist open with mode "w+b" :-(.

I'd be happiest if os.path.exists() would work regardless of whether
Python supported large files.  I'd be satisifed with an exception that
at least let me know something went wrong.

Jeremy