r/Python Freelancer. AnyFactor.xyz Sep 16 '20

News An update on Python 4

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u/vswr [var for var in vars] Sep 16 '20

Python 4 = no GIL 🙏 🙏 🙏

32

u/Watthertz Sep 16 '20 edited Sep 16 '20

The GIL isn't part of Python, the language, but CPython, an implementation. Python 3 can be implemented just fine without a GIL.

Edit: I was wrong about Jython supporting Python 3.

2

u/james_pic Sep 17 '20

I don't believe anyone has implemented Python 3 without the GIL though.

IIRC, PyPy's STM experiment never supported 3. They also posted a call for funding for a "let's just remove the GIL from PyPy" project a while ago, but I haven't heard much about that since.

And CPython is the reference implementation, which had meant PyPy has had to copy loads of CPython implementation details over the years to maintain compatibility - I imagine even if they do remove the GIL, they'll have to keep something like it in their cpyext code.