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Groups > comp.lang.python > #69958

Re: threading

From Roy Smith <roy@panix.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Re: threading
Date 2014-04-09 10:52 -0400
Organization PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
Message-ID <roy-070ADD.10524309042014@news.panix.com> (permalink)
References (4 earlier) <mailman.8986.1396914468.18130.python-list@python.org> <877g70wg8p.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> <li3hki$grv$1@ger.gmane.org> <CAPTjJmqwhb8O8vq84mMTv+-Rkc3Ff1AQDXe5cs8Y5gY02kHyNg@mail.gmail.com> <mailman.9078.1397053837.18130.python-list@python.org>

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In article <mailman.9078.1397053837.18130.python-list@python.org>,
 "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> wrote:

> "Chris Angelico" <rosuav@gmail.com> wrote in message 
> news:CAPTjJmqwhb8O8vq84mMTv+-Rkc3Ff1AQDXe5cs8Y5gY02kHyNg@mail.gmail.com...
> > On Wed, Apr 9, 2014 at 11:23 PM, Frank Millman <frank@chagford.com> wrote:
> >
> >> How does one distinguish betwen 'blocking' and 'non-blocking'? Is it
> >> either/or, or is it some arbitrary timeout - if a handler returns within
> >> that time it is non-blocking, but if it exceeds it it is blocking?
> >
> > No; a blocking request is one that waits until it has a response, and
> > a non-blocking request is one that goes off and does something, and
> > then comes back to you when it's done.
> 
> Does reading from disk count as blocking? Strictly speaking I would have 
> thought 'yes'.

Of course it does.  But, the bigger question is, "What counts as reading 
from disk?"

In the old days, all Unix system calls were divided up into two groups, 
based on whether they were "fast" or "slow".  Processes executing a 
"fast" system call would block, and could not be interrupted; i.e. any 
signals delivered to them would be queued up and delivered after the 
system call had finished.  Typically, that meant, if you typed 
Control-C, your process wouldn't get killed until the system call it was 
executing completed.

Disk reads were considered fast.  You type Control-C, the read takes 
another few ms to finish, then your process gets whacked.  You never 
even notice the delay.  But, a read on a tty was slow.  It would sit 
there forever, until you hit return.  Slow system calls got interrupted.

Then, along came the network, and everything got confusing.  If I open a 
file that lives on an NFS server, and read from it, am I doing a disk 
read?  Should I be able to interrupt an NFS operation?

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Thread

Re: threading Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-04-07 13:05 +1000
  Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-06 23:48 -0400
    Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-07 13:56 +1000
      Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-07 08:26 -0400
        Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-07 22:34 +1000
          Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-07 09:22 -0400
            Re: threading Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-04-07 14:41 +0100
            Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-07 16:49 +0300
              Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 00:27 +1000
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-07 17:51 +0300
                Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 01:12 +1000
            Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 00:24 +1000
      Re: threading Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 18:09 -0700
        Re: threading "Neil D. Cerutti" <neilc@norwich.edu> - 2014-04-09 09:50 -0400
          Re: threading Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2014-04-09 08:51 -0700
            Re: threading MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2014-04-09 18:47 +0100
              Re: threading Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-04-10 11:35 +1200
                Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-09 19:53 -0400
                Re: threading Andrew Berg <robotsondrugs@gmail.com> - 2014-04-09 19:02 -0500
                Re: threading Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-10 02:43 +0000
                Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 13:08 +1000
                Re: threading Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-04-10 09:23 +0100
                Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 19:11 +1000
            Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 04:00 +1000
            Re: threading Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-10 03:44 +0000
              Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 13:54 +1000
    Re: threading Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-04-07 15:22 +1000
    Re: threading Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2014-04-08 11:09 -0700
    Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 21:41 +0200
      Re: threading Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-04-08 20:30 +0000
        Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-09 00:32 +0200
          Re: threading Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 19:17 -0700
  Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-07 08:10 +0300
    Re: threading Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2014-04-06 22:39 -0700
      Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-07 08:46 +0300
      Re: threading Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-04-07 19:47 -0400
        Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-08 08:19 +0300
          Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 10:47 +0000
            Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-08 15:10 +0300
              Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 16:37 +0000
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-08 20:17 +0300
            Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-08 09:19 -0400
              Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 15:44 +0000
                Re: threading Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2014-04-08 09:38 -0700
                Re: threading Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-04-09 14:42 +0100
          Re: threading "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2014-04-09 15:23 +0200
            Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-09 16:55 +0300
              Re: threading "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2014-04-09 16:46 +0200
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-09 20:31 +0300
                Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 03:52 +1000
                Re: threading Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 08:29 -0500
                Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-09 19:20 +0000
          Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-09 23:47 +1000
            Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-09 10:44 -0400
          Re: threading "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2014-04-09 16:30 +0200
            Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-09 10:52 -0400
              Re: threading Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-04-10 11:19 +1200
            Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-09 19:48 +0300
          Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 00:44 +1000
          Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-09 15:29 +0000
          Re: threading Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-04-09 12:14 -0400
          Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 02:25 +1000
          Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-09 16:32 +0000
          Re: threading Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-04-09 19:44 -0400
          Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 11:05 +1000
          Re: threading "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2014-04-10 11:17 +0200
          Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 19:40 +1000
          Re: threading "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2014-04-10 13:10 +0200
            Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-10 14:43 +0300
              Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-10 08:56 -0400
              Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 15:24 +0000
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-10 19:20 +0300
              Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-11 01:32 +1000
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-10 19:25 +0300
                Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-11 03:08 +1000
                Re: threading Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 11:14 -0700
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-10 22:44 +0300
                Re: threading Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 13:21 -0700
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-10 23:44 +0300
                Re: threading Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 22:15 -0700
                Re: threading Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 23:50 -0700
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-11 18:36 +0300
                Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-12 01:53 +1000
                Re: threading Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-04-11 16:58 +0100
                Re: threading Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2014-04-11 11:54 -0700
                Re: threading Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-04-11 22:27 +0300
                Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-11 01:51 +0200
                Re: threading Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-11 05:35 +0000
                Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-11 09:26 +0000
                Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-11 08:36 -0400
                Re: threading Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-04-11 16:18 +0000
                Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-11 02:21 +0200
                Re: threading Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-04-10 20:23 -0400
          Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-10 21:19 +1000
      Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 02:06 +0000
        Re: threading alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-04-08 11:07 +0000
          Re: threading Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-08 09:13 -0400
            Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 23:23 +1000
              Re: threading alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-04-08 14:15 +0000
                Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 16:06 +0000
            Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 15:40 +0000
              Re: threading Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2014-04-08 09:46 -0700
                Re: threading Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-09 02:46 +1000
                Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 17:17 +0000
          Re: threading Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2014-04-08 15:19 +0000

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