threads
Tim Peters
tim_one at email.msn.com
Fri Jun 4 01:15:11 EDT 1999
[Arne Mueller]
> Hi All, I'm using the threading module in python 1.5.2b2. I'm
> wondering wheather the different threads are all executed in
> parallel on a multiprocessor machine.
[Jeremy Hylton]
> The short answer is no. The Python interpreter has a lock that
> prevents allows only a single thread to execute at a time.
[Hrvoje Niksic]
> Eek. That's depressing. Isn't supporting threads and not allowing
> simultaneous execution a bit weird?
The serialization only applies to those threads trying to interpret Python
bytecodes at a given time; they have to take turns then, but can run off in
parallel while doing anything else (typically doing I/O, or off in an
extension module with its own ideas about threads).
There are a mass of hairy tradeoffs, and for Python 1.4 there exists a large
set of "free threading" patches (by Greg Stein) that removed the global
lock. Some good news, some bad news, but old news all the same <wink>.
Oh ya -- in answer to your question, yes! It is a bit weird.
what-does-that-make-us?-ly y'rs - tim
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