python.exe/Tkinter hang on exit

[Tim Peters]

[Howard Lightstone]
> About 1 out of 3 times I run my python.exe apps that use Tkinter windows
> (Windows98SE), the application becomes a zombie if I close the app using
> the x-box to kill the Tkinter window.  If I remember to do it (which
> seems to be tough lately), a Ctrl-C in the dos box seems to ALWAYS kill
> the app.
>
> It seems the application is hanging on OLESCELOCKMUTEX during
> termination, thus leaving a zombie task (which...typically... means I
> cannot shut Windows down gracefully, if such a thing were possible).
>
> I am assuming that some win32 thingey is not being called by the Tkinter
> task temination logic,  BUT,  using pythonw.exe, termination ALWAYS
> works correctly.  (I am using Python 2.0)
>
> Any clues?  I haven't tried to take apart my apps and see which imports
> do it (but Pmw looks like just a wrapper) .

Any new info about this should be added to the ancient bug report:

http://sf.net/tracker/?group_id=5470&atid=105470&func=detail&aid=216289

Fredrik (a Tkinter expert) was able to reproduce the same symptoms without
Python in the picture.  Nobody knows the cause.  Everyone is very keen to
insist that somebody else ought to fix it <0.9 wink>.