[Python-Dev] 2.3.3: test_import wreaks havoc when it runs out of memory (original) (raw)

Jack Jansen jackjansen at mac.com
Sat Dec 27 10:37:08 EST 2003

During testing 2.3.3 for MacOS9 I think I came across a bug somewhere in import, but I don't have the time to track it down (and there's a workaround), and it's probably only ever going to happen on OS9. Should I put it in the bugs database anyway?

If test_import runs out of memory (probably in the test_module_with_large_stack test) it fails with a MemoryError (as it should). However, from that point on there is something fishy in the state of the interpreter: any later test that should simply fail with an ImportError gets a SystemError: NULL return without exception in stead. After a couple of these the interpreter either hangs completely or crashes (I think around the threading tests, but I'm not sure).

Note that it's not a question of simply all memory being tied up: it seems test_import does release most of the memory used, and many tests also pass after test_import.

Jack Jansen, <Jack.Jansen at cwi.nl>, http://www.cwi.nl/~jack If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution -- Emma Goldman

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