[Python-Dev] _PyImport_LoadDynamicModule questions

David Abrahams David Abrahams" <david.abrahams@rcn.com
Wed, 29 May 2002 17:56:38 -0400


From: "Guido van Rossum" <guido@python.org>


> > Actually, I'm not going to try to convince anyone to make this a stable
> > public API until after I've failed to convince you that maybe there
ought
> > to be a libpython.so on AIX.
>
> You're talking to the wrong guy.  I have no access to AIX, no
> experience with it, and no understanding of it.  Somebody else will
> have to judge your recommendation, not me.

By "you" I meant "the wider you", not "the royal you", nor you (Guido)
specifically.

> > On AIX, the dynamic linking model is in some ways a lot like that of
> > Windows, and it's really tough for a shared library to get ahold of
> > symbols from an executable (witness the strange implementation of
> > the title function of this email on AIX). If it didn't break
> > something else, it might be a major simplification to move the bulk
> > of Python into a shared library on this platform, just as it is on
> > Windows... especially for poor unsuspecting souls (like me) who try
> > to use the Python 'C' API from a shared library (not an extension
> > module). Without some major hackery to patch up those symbols, it
> > unceremoniously dumps core when you try to call Python functions.
>
> Maybe Anthony Baxter can corrobborate your story.

I hope "you" find it worth looking into at least.