[Python-Dev] The endless GIL debate: why not remove thread support instead? (original) (raw)

Christian Heimes lists at cheimes.de
Sat Dec 13 18:13:55 CET 2008

Steve Holden schrieb:

If I remember correctly (when threading was invented in the mid-1980s) threads were originally described as "lightweight processes". The perceived advantage at the time was the ability to have multiple threads of control with shared memory: this was much faster than the available inter-process communication mechanisms. On a single-processor computer synchronization was much less of a problem.

Initially one of Java's main target platforms were set-top boxes. Back in the 90ties set-top boxes had limited hardware and dumb processors. Most of the boxes had no MMU and so didn't support multiple processes. Threads were the easiest way to have some kind of concurrency.

Back in those days threads were the only solution for concurrency but today - about 15 years later with powerful processors even in cheap mobile phones - people are still indoctrinated with the same philosophy ...

Christian

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