Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!goblin2!goblin.stu.neva.ru!newsfeed1.swip.net!uio.no!news.tele.dk!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.038 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.92; '*S*': 0.00; 'languages.': 0.04; 'exist,': 0.09; 'responsive': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.11; 'thread': 0.14; "wouldn't": 0.14; 'easier.': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'governed': 0.16; 'subject:GIL': 0.16; 'threads,': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'restrictions': 0.19; 'memory': 0.22; 'aug': 0.22; 'separate': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; "aren't": 0.24; 'mon,': 0.24; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; 'possibly': 0.26; 'certain': 0.27; 'gets': 0.27; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'am,': 0.29; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'that.': 0.31; 'minor': 0.31; 'running': 0.33; 'alone': 0.33; 'entirely': 0.33; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'done': 0.36; "didn't": 0.36; 'possible': 0.36; 'level': 0.37; 'requiring': 0.38; 'anything': 0.39; 'sure': 0.39; 'even': 0.60; 'lower': 0.61; 'simply': 0.61; 'high': 0.63; 'more': 0.64; 'jobs': 0.68; 'home': 0.69; 'computers': 0.72; '100%': 0.77; 'heavy': 0.81; 'grew': 0.84; 'presumably': 0.84; 'scheduling': 0.84; 'to:none': 0.92 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:cc :content-type; bh=e66SaWmHHOSPqgfDmsk6XL8RfINi/1hOVj/gkYnGDsQ=; b=oos+2cIo2zItd8dbb7TNDjNEwVqI8VmqVWqOcvjdzxIETp/e63v22PV9fILQ8k+0pO dpFOd+VFDBI9u7/YukTy484qXbQxDBROrqL2+Du8nUzvS5boKW/J768aOYHKVt9ASWRy lLLBsBcYCjvDb5jCB2Jhq1TdPRax0YrVdw6cEhhaHX5a43MmsU/20+fBjzfgF+osz6jP w5dgCHXrlZfiCChcjB2XZkJJBVEKVq6ALt4wt3MzVb9Bp2WPCqHUw0Ne3R6Oq5x51wS1 hU3XaTxBWJbR8oEMnt/zS8czBPbhGHdZX1b6OItRB39u7zuVHw3qG/65vz9m5PSnOUQ0 pJfA== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.42.174.2 with SMTP id t2mr31456533icz.23.1408291932052; Sun, 17 Aug 2014 09:12:12 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <70f99975cf5d47ce958ece42d61409bf@exch.activenetwerx.com> References: <53f0ba6c$0$29982$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <70f99975cf5d47ce958ece42d61409bf@exch.activenetwerx.com> Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 02:12:11 +1000 Subject: Re: GIL detector From: Chris Angelico Cc: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 22 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1408291934 news.xs4all.nl 2960 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:44887 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:76439 On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 2:01 AM, Joseph L. Casale wrote: > If it weren't for these "useless" threads, you wouldn't have even been able > to send that message, let alone do anything on a computer for that matter. Not sure about that. I think it would be entirely possible to build a computer that has no C threads, just processes (with separate memory spaces) and HLL threads governed by GILs - that is, each process cannot possibly consume more than 100% CPU time. Threads aren't inherently required for anything, but they do make certain jobs easier. When I grew up with threads, multi-core home computers simply didn't exist, so in effect the *entire computer* had a GIL. Threads still had their uses (fast response on thread 0 makes for a responsive GUI, then the heavy processing gets done on a spun-off thread with presumably lower scheduling priority), and that's not changing. Requiring that only one thread of any given process be running at a time is just a minor limitation, and one that I would accept as part of the restrictions of high level languages. ChrisA