[Python-Dev] Can't compile _tkinter.c with Redhat 9 (post-SF#719880)

[Jeff Hobbs]

It was a busy day for me, but I wanted to address the open qs here:

> From: martin@v.loewis.de
> Mihai Ibanescu <misa@redhat.com> writes:
>
> > Anyway, UCS4 is something I don't think we can change now - and after
> > reading Martin's post, it makes me feel it's the correct way to go. How
> > can we fix the tcl/python interaction? If you have suggestions, please
let
> > me know (off-list would be fine too).

For Python perhaps, if there exist extensions which require it, but
I still didn't see any convincing argument to build Tcl UCS-4.  Since
Martin has corrected things to work with UCS-4 Python against UCS-2
Tcl, that seems like a more sane way to go.  I want to get a chance
to examine what connectivity issues he found, and look into the Tk
UCS-4 issues.  We know a lot more about UCS-2 Tcl (the standard).  It
also makes it compatible with RH8 Tcl and all the extensions that
people have already built.  That means extension rpms made on RH8
will work on RH9 (that is not currently the case).

I am interested in updating the build system to have a UCS-4 enabling
build switch, but the key thing that I am worried about is the very
notable excess memory usage by Tk when built with UCS-4 (just Tcl
seems to be fine).  Since there appears to be no imperative reason to
have a UCS-4 Tcl build (thanks to Martin's shimmy magic), it would
seem best not to have the default Tk bloating, along with the other
issues.

> P.S. What is IMO more urgently missing is "proper" support for that
> feature in Tcl, if it is meant to be a feature, in terms of
> documentation, configuration options, etc. Or, if Tcl maintainers
> decide this is *not* a desirable feature, it would help if they say so
> (but I think Jeff's comments indicate that this is unlikely).

Right, I'm aware of it, and will make it so for 8.4.4 and 8.5.  It
won't get back into 8.3 (which we consider end-of-devel life).
Which brings up another point ... since Martin, et al, also did a
great job correcting Tkinter support for 8.4, why not move up to
that as the base version (it is already the base version in SuSE
and Debian-testing)?  It is 100% upwards compatible from 8.3 and
provides numerous enhancements for Tk users (like compound buttons,
new core widgets, enhanced performance, etc).

  Jeff Hobbs                     The Tcl Guy
  Senior Developer               http://www.ActiveState.com/