[Python-Dev] Addition of "pyprocessing" module to standard lib.

[Jesse Noller]

On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 6:58 AM, Nick Craig-Wood <nick at craig-wood.com> wrote:
> Jesse Noller <jnoller at gmail.com> wrote:
>  >  I am looking for any questions, concerns or benchmarks python-dev has
>  >  regarding the possible inclusion of the pyprocessing module to the
>  >  standard library - preferably in the 2.6 timeline.  In March, I began
>  >  working on the PEP for the inclusion of the pyprocessing (processing)
>  >  module into the python standard library[1]. The original email to the
>  >  stdlib-sig can be found here, it includes a basic overview of the
>  >  module:
>  >
>  >  http://mail.python.org/pipermail/stdlib-sig/2008-March/000129.html
>  >
>  >  The processing module mirrors/mimics the API of the threading module -
>  >  and with simple import/subclassing changes depending on the code,
>  >  allows you to leverage multi core machines via an underlying forking
>  >  mechanism. The module also supports the sharing of data across groups
>  >  of networked machines - a feature obviously not part of the core
>  >  threading module, but useful in a distributed environment.
>
>  I think processing looks interesting and useful, especially since it
>  works on Windows as well as Un*x.
>
>  However I'd like to see a review of the security - anything which can
>  run across networks of machines has security implications and I didn't
>  see these spelt out in the documentation.
>
>  Networked running should certainly be disabled by default and need
>  explicitly enabling by the user - I'd hate for a new version of python
>  to come with a remote exploit by default...
>
>  --
>  Nick Craig-Wood <nick at craig-wood.com> -- http://www.craig-wood.com/nick
>

See the Manager documentation:
http://pyprocessing.berlios.de/doc/manager-objects.html

And the Listener/Client documentation:
http://pyprocessing.berlios.de/doc/connection-ref.html

Remote access is not implicit - it is explicit - you must spawn a
Manager/Client instance and tell it to use the network instead of it
being "always networked".

I'll add a security audit to the list of open issues though - that's a
good point.

-jesse