Parallelization on muli-CPU hardware?
Alan Kennedy
alanmk at hotmail.com
Tue Oct 5 10:38:51 EDT 2004
[Sam G.]
> According to the fact that all Thread run on the same CPU (if i didn't
> understand wrong), i'm asking if python will suffer from the future
> multicore CPU. Will not python use only one core, then a half or a
> quarter of CPU ? It could be a serious problem for the future of
python...
I agree that it could potentially be a serious hindrance for cpython if
"multiple core" CPUs become commonplace. This is in contrast to jython
and ironpython, both of which support multiple-cpu parallelism.
Although I completely accept the usual arguments offered in defense of
the GIL, i.e. that it isn't a problem in the great majority of use
cases, I think that position will become more difficult to defend as
desktop CPUs sprout more and more execution pipelines.
I think that this also fits in with AM Kuchling's recent
musing/thesis/prediction that the existing cpython VM may no longer be
in use in 5 years, and that it may be superceded by python
"interpreters" running on top of other VMs, namely the JVM, the CLR,
Smalltalk VM, Parrot, etc, etc, etc.
http://www.amk.ca/diary/archives/cat_python.html#003382
I too agree with Andrew's basic position: the Python language needs a
period of library consolidation. There is so much duplication of
functionality out there, with the situation only getting worse as people
re-invent the wheel yet again using newer features such generators,
gen-exps and decorators.
Just my €0,02.
--
alan kennedy
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