[Python-Dev] Signals, threads, blocking C functions

[Nick Maclaren]

=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=22Martin_v=2E_L=F6wis=22?= <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote:
Michael Hudson schrieb:
> 
> >> According to [1], all python needs to do to avoid this problem is
> >> block all signals in all but the main thread;
> > 
> > Argh, no: then people who call system() from non-main threads end up
> > running subprocesses with all signals masked, which breaks other
> > things in very mysterious ways.  Been there...
>         
> Python should register a pthread_atfork handler then, which clears
> the signal mask. Would that not work?

No.  It's not the only such problem.

Personally, I think that anyone who calls system(), fork(), spawn()
or whatever from threads is cuckoo.  It is precisely the sort of
thing that is asking for trouble, because there are so many ways
of doing it 'right' that you can't be sure exactly what mental
model the system developers will have.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:  nmm1 at cam.ac.uk
Tel.:  +44 1223 334761    Fax:  +44 1223 334679