Python 2.2.3 test_re.py fails with coredump on FreeBSD 5.0, fails also on FreeBSD4.8

[PieterB]

Ok,

I had a little look at testing Python 2.2.3 under FreeBSD and
5.0. When I use './configure ; make ; make test' Lib/test/test_re.py
gives a Signal 10 (coredump) on FreeBSD5. The test coredumps because
of the following test from Lib/test/test_re.py:

<code>
if verbose:
    print 'Test engine limitations'

# Try nasty case that overflows the straightforward recursive
# implementation of repeated groups.
try:
    verify(re.match('(x)*', 50000*'x').span() == (0, 50000))
except RuntimeError, v:
    print v
</code>

On FreeBSD 4.8 this test also fails, but doesn't core dump:
%python2.2.3 test_re.py
Running tests on re.search and re.match
Running tests on re.sub
Running tests on symbolic references
Running tests on re.subn
Running tests on re.split
Running tests on re.findall
Running tests on re.match
Running tests on re.escape
Pickling a RegexObject instance
Test engine limitations
maximum recursion limit exceeded
Running re_tests test suite
=== Failed incorrectly ('(?u)\\w', u'\xc4', 0, 'found', u'\xc4')

Can anybody, give me a clue:
a) if this is caused by a FreeBSD5.0 issue, or by Python. 
   Can somebody test this on FreeBSD 5.1 or FreeBSD5-CVS?
b) how can I fix the coredump on FreeBSD 5.0?
c) what should be done to fix the test on FreeBSD 4.8?

Can this related to the FreeBSD python/zope/zwiki stability problems
for FreeBSD.  (see http://zwiki.org/GeneralDiscussion200306). Zwiki
makes heavy use of regular expressions.

I also made some patches to make regrtest.py aware of freebsd4/freebsd5.
I've put them online at: http://www.gewis.nl/~pieterb/python/bugs-2.2.3/

Thanks in advance,

PieterB

-- 
http://zwiki.org/PieterB