question: Python or Lua for rejuvenation of old PCs?

[David LeBlanc]

> "John Benson" <jsbenson at bensonsystems.com> wrote in message
> news:mailman.16.1072987285.12720.python-list at python.org...
> > I suppose that my question is best phrased as this: What is a
> comfortable
> > minimum RAM size that a PC needs to have to comfortably run
> modern Python
> > for non-memory-intensive applications (i.e. no big database crunching or
> > other thrashy stuff). I'm thinking about just polling sensors and
> actuating
> > control devices over RS-232/RS-485/LAN and doing some chitchat between
> the
> > nodes over the LAN. Based on the response, I'll draw the line between my
> Lua
> > machines and my Python machines.
>
> I did my first useful Python work with old DOS version on a 4 MB machine.
> Disk memory size and running RAM memory size are different issues.  I have
> read that Lua beats Python on minimal disk footprint but have no idea of
> running size.  On Windows, Python.exe is very small but does
> import several
> modules, though I believe it could be built to require less.
>
> Terry J. Reedy

python.exe is small - for 2.3.2 it's 21kb, but it immediately pulls in a
953kb python23.dll (which is cleverly "hidden" in c:\winnt\system32) and
also draws on a 3.6mb set of dlls in python/32/dll. Lua is 140kb.

I have seen discussion of Python being run on small x86 systems with 64mb of
ram and a 64mb CF card "disk". I think several of the Linux and BSD distros
for the Soekris router widgets will run Python, not to mention another
language that starts with "P" ;)

Dave LeBlanc
Seattle, WA USA