[Python-Dev] Time for the yearly list.append() panic

[Tim Peters]

[Tim]
> Long-term we should teach PyMalloc about Python's realloc()
> abuses and craft a cooperative solution.

[MAL]
> That's what I think too. There's really not much point in trying
> to work around poor malloc() implementations when we've already
> got the cure built into Python...

The point *here* is that a simple localized patch could kill off a
Frequently Irritating Complaint without further ado:  on my personal
cost/benefit scale, it's all I can *afford* to do now.  PyMalloc likely
won't solve it as-is x-platform, without new work to accommodate extreme
realloc() abuse.

> I just wish Vladimir would resurface again to complete his great
> work

I'd like him to come back even if he doesn't <wink>.

> (AFAIK, pymalloc still has problems with threads).

It has lock macros that haven't been #define'd to do anything yet.  But part
of the potential value of the Python core using its own allocator is to
exploit the global interpreter lock to *not* lock in the allocator.  Messy
issues.  Python should grow a cheaper platform-specific flavor of internal
lock too.  (Jeremy pointed out some code the other day that jumps through
hoops to simulate a reentrant lock on top of a Python lock; an irony is that
on Windows, the native lock *is* reentrant already, and Python jumps through
hoops to make it act as if it weren't <wink>)