[Python-Dev] 2.3.1

[Kurt B. Kaiser]

Skip Montanaro <skip@pobox.com> writes:

> I see nothing wrong with letting this IDLE problem slip through to the 2.3
> release with notes in the relevant readme-type documentation.  It's simply
> been discovered too late to fix in this release given that we are at 2.3c2.

In the interest of at least partially resolving these issues for 2.3
without major code changes:

[KBK]
> Two separate issues:
>
> 1. Failure of IDLE to initialize its subprocess doesn't result in a
>    message visible to the user.

A message can be displayed to the user if we configure the Windows
installer to bind the IDLE icon to python.exe instead of pythonw.exe.
That way a DOS box will open behind IDLE and any messages will be
visible there.  This is a small patch.

[KBK]
> 2. Unnecessary user aggravation (I'm paranoid, too) caused by
>    personal firewall software complaining about use of the
>    loopback interface.

A very restricted change to the code would be add the following
to the banner printed at the top of the shell when it starts (the
socket connection isn't made until the shell window opens):

***************************************************************
Personal firewall software may warn about the connection IDLE
makes to its subprocess using this computer's internal loopback
interface.  This connection is not visible on any external
interface and no data is sent to or received from the Internet.
***************************************************************

This involves an addition to PyShell.py:PyShell.begin(), line 873.

In addition, the .../idlelib/README.txt would be updated with the
same message w/o the asterisks.

These are not the final solutions.  A pop-up for #1, everytime, and a
pop-up for #2 on first use would be introduced into 2.3.1.  The above
banner could be retained even after the popup is implemented, though
I'm -1 on that.

Comments?

-- 
KBK