[Python-Dev] large file support

[Jeremy Hylton]

>>>>> "MvL" == Martin v Loewis <martin@v.loewis.de> writes:

  MvL> jeremy@zope.com (Jeremy Hylton) writes:
  >> However, I'm still unhappy with one thing related to large file
  >> support.  If you've got a Python that doesn't have large file
  >> support and you try os.path.exists() on a large file, it will
  >> return false.  This is really bad!

  MvL> I believe this is a pilot error. On a system that supports
  MvL> large files, it is the administrator's job to make sure the
  MvL> Python installation has large file support enabled, otherwise,
  MvL> strange things may happen.

We sure don't provide much help for such an administrator.  (Happily,
I am not one.)  The instructions for Linux offer a configure recipe
and says "it might work."  If you build without large file support on
a Linux system, the test suite gives no indication that something went
wrong.  So I think it is unreasonable to say the Python install is
broken, despite the fact that it's possible to do better.

  MvL> So yes, it is bad, but no, it is not really bad. Feel free to
  MvL> fix it, but be prepared to include work-arounds in many other
  MvL> places, too.

os.path.exists() is perhaps the most egregious.  I think it's worth
backporting the fix to the 2.1 branch, along with any other glaring
errors.  We might still see a 2.1.4.

Jeremy