Python threading - some ports depend on it, others break with it

[Gunther Mayer]

Jim Stapleton wrote:
>> I'm having so much trouble with this. I'm hosting a trac based project
>> which is implemented in python and uses an sqlite db backend along with
>> its python bindings. Now it turns out that pysqlite breaks badly
>> (compiles and installs fine but chokes on import, see
>> http://lists.initd.org/pipermail/pysqlite/2006-May/000553.html) if
>> python itself is compiled *without threading* support.
>>
>> However, on the same box I run a postgresql development and testing
>> database and we have some triggers and other functions implemented in
>> pl/python. Guess what? The compile of postgresql-plpython chokes upon
>> configure if python is built *with threading* support. Running it seems
>> to work fine, but there's a reason upstream put this check into
>> configure because supposedly this is known to break things.
>>     
> ...
>   
>> I need both of these ports on one box and I'm not sure what to do to
>> sort out this mess properly. Any ideas? What's up with Python's
>> threading support on FreeBSD in any case, why is is broken?
>>     
>
> I would suggest framing either some of the programs/libraries with a
> few counts of 1st degree murder, and sending it to jail for life,
> where it can run for life in a nice little cell with it's own pet
> python.
>
> Would that work? It's probably a bit more work than a desirable
> solution, but if you don't need them running in the same "space", it
> should work. Or have I completely missed the point (very likely given
> me).
>   
It's a good suggestion but I can see that being more trouble than it's 
worth. I wouldn't want to spend countless hours making sure that all 
those files, their dependencies, libraries and all that other jazz is in 
a jail on its own working smoothly, and even if I get it right upgrading 
components (e.g. security vulnerabilities) will prove to be a nightmare.

Getting a second box is out of the question, for now at least, and while 
I thought virtualization might be the answer I see that FreeBSD only has 
guest support for Xen :-(

Oh well, guess I'll post to freebsd-python to get some solution perhaps.

Gunther