Python hits the spot

[Siegfried Gonzi]

A few weeks ago I complaint here that Python on Windows XP sucks. I had
a problem which would took theoretically about 1.5 hours; but in reality
it takes 6 hours on Windows XP and Python 2.2. After that 6 hours I must
reboot my system in order to work on.

In the following I got the advice to install a real user system on my
laptop. Okay, I bought Linux SuSE 8.0 and installed it on my laptop (256
MB RAM, 1000 MHz Celeron). I also installed Python 2.2 (the ActivePython
version, otherwise I couldn't install idle due to the annoying
"free_software_garbage_2_weeks_installation_nightmare").

SWIG helped me to make my external Python C function (with gcc); and
F2PY helped me to create my external Python Fortran 90 function (with
the Intel Fortran 95 compiler).

The directories and all the other programs and data are the same as on
Windows.


1. After starting the process from within idle the complete system
freezes after the first wavelength (after about 20 minutes). I couldn't
kill a process or open a different session (via F2) in order to kill
python. The last resort: turn off the power supply.

2. I thought it is better to start the process from the command line and
in a X terminal: python forcing.py
The same behavior as aforementioned: last resort: power supply. That is
really good and fine because a Linux system really is greedy for "shut
down immediately".

3. I thought it has to do with Gnome and I logged in to a KDE session.
Same behavior as in point 1. and 2.


My conclusion: I will rewrite my simulation in Fortran 90 and will
abadon Python. Python is maybe good for some small scripts but not
appropiate for serious programming.

Thank you Billy Boy for a forgiving user system Windows XP which in turn
relieves Python's "wreak havoc" behavior.

I cannot believe that Linux is responsible for Python's ill behavior
under Linux. Before you start ranting about note the following: In a
first step it has nothing to do with my programming style (admittedly
not very good and famous) it has to do that the same calculation cannot
be performed on Linux and Python 2.2!


S. Gonzi