[New-bugs-announce] [issue4200] atexit module not safe in Python 3.0 with multiple interpreters

[Graham Dumpleton]

New submission from Graham Dumpleton <Graham.Dumpleton at gmail.com>:

In Python 3.0 the atexit module was translated from Python code to C code.

Prior to Python 3.0, because it was implemented at C code level, the list of 
callbacks was specific to each sub interpreter. In Python 3.0 that appears to 
no longer be the case, with the list of callbacks being maintained globally as 
static C variable across all interpreters.

The end result is that if a sub interpreter registers an atexit callback, that 
callback will be called within the context of the main interpreter on call of 
Py_Finalize(), and not in context of the sub interpreter against which it was 
registered.

Various problems could ensue from this depending on whether or not the sub 
interpreter had also since been destroyed.

Still need to validate the above, but from visual inspection looks to be a 
problem. Issue found because mod_wsgi will trigger atexit callbacks for a sub 
interpreter when the sub interpreter is being destroyed. This is because Python 
prior to 3.0 only did it from the main interpreter. In Python 3.0, this all 
seems to get messed up now as no isolation between callbacks for each 
interpreter.

For mod_wsgi case, since it is explicitly triggering atexit callbacks for sub 
interpreter, in doing so it is actually calling all registered atexit callbacks 
across all interpreters for each sub interpreter being destroyed. They then 
again get called for Py_Finalize().

Even if mod_wsgi weren't doing this, still a problem that Py_Finalize() calling 
atexit callbacks in context of main interpreter which were actually associated 
with sub interpreter.

For mod_wsgi, will probably end up installing own 'atexit' module variant in 
sub interpreters to ensure separation.

----------
components: Interpreter Core
messages: 75195
nosy: grahamd
severity: normal
status: open
title: atexit module not safe in Python 3.0 with multiple interpreters
type: behavior
versions: Python 3.0

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue4200>
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