Stackless Python, eventual merge?

[Christian Tismer]

Martin v. Löwis wrote:
> Christian Tismer <tismer at tismer.com> writes:
> 
> 
>>Maybe sufficient for not crashing on the C level.
>>But this is not enough for micro-thread-safety.
>>See the random module for example, it needs a lock
>>or it will give unpredictable results.
> 
> 
> Academically, I don't think the results are unpredictable, as
> micro-thread switch occur at predictable points in processing.

Yes, right now, but this will change pretty soon.

> Regardless, you are saying that the random module is not
> thread-safe. A number of Python modules is not thread safe; many of
> them won't be 'safe' in the presence of microthreads, either.  With
> microthreads, the problem is usually not as bad as with real threads,
> since a switch usually cannot occur in the middle of a library routine
> (unless the library calls back, and the call-back causes a switch).

I am not saying that the random module is not thread safe (although
I'm not sure if it is). The point is: Microthread safety is more
than thread safety, since microthreads don't care about thread
locks, since they are still *in the same thread*.

It will for sure become a problem, and it is different from
effect, but similar to the C probs by reason: We are switching
context where some code might not expect it. It might feel safe
because it is thread safe, but this is not enough.
I have to do rigid locking of every unknown piece of code,
until somebody explicitly claims some code to be switchable.

ciao - chris

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