python threads on multi-CPU machines

[Lothar Scholz]

Thomas Womack <twomack at chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote in message news:<vQn*aWb0p at news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>...
> If I have a dual-processor hyperthreaded machine (so with four CPU
> contexts), will a python program distribute threads over all four
> logical processors?

Okay others told you already about the GIL.

> I ask because I'm fairly sure that this *does* happen using the
> threading extensions in MFC, and fairly sure that it *doesn't* when
> using Java, 

Of couse java *does* this. It's the number one reason for SUN to
develop and maintain Java: selling a reason to buy some of there
overpriced multiprocessor machines. Maybe you don't know anything
about Java.