Python hits the spot

[Erlend J. Leiknes]

Siegfried Gonzi wrote:
> 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").

What do you mean with
"free_software_garbage_2_weeks_installation_nightmare",
Ive never had any problem installing python/idle...


> 
> 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).

Perhaps it wasnt python's fault?
Perhaps it was swig or f2py?


> 
> 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