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To be fair, the GIL was included (AFAIK) because it was simple to implement. Also, Guido has said (2007) [1] that he would welcome a patch to remove the GIL if...:

> "... I'd welcome a set of patches into Py3k only if the performance for a single-threaded program (and for a multi-threaded but I/O-bound program) does not decrease."

Unfortunately, experiments thus far have not succeeded to meet these requirements.

There is some work being done by the Gilectomy project to try and meet this bar as well as some other requirements currently though [2]. But it is currently grappling with the afore-discovered performance issues that come with removing the GIL.

Also at PyCon 2016, Guido himself mentions the Gilectomy project and it's potential consideration (if it works) for Python 3.6+ [3].

[1] http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=214235

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3AyI_u66Bw

[3] https://youtu.be/YgtL4S7Hrwo?t=10m59s

To be fair, the GIL wasn't included because it was a simple threading model (AFAIK). It was included because it was simple to implement and it was/is fast(er) (than removing it)[1][2].

If the Gilectomy [2] project succeeds, Guido has mentioned he would consider it for Python3.6+ [3].

[1] http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=214235

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3AyI_u66Bw

[3] https://youtu.be/YgtL4S7Hrwo?t=10m59s

The BDFL (Benevolent Dictator For Life) Guido Von Rossum himself put forth the idea that he would consider a patch removing the GIL in 2007 [1]:

> "... I'd welcome a set of patches into Py3k only if the performance for a single-threaded program (and for a multi-threaded but I/O-bound program) does not decrease."

Unfortunately, experiments thus far have not succeeded to meet these requirements.

There is some work being done by the Gilectomy project to try and meet this bar as well as some other requirements currently though [2]. But it is currently grappling with the afore-discovered performance issues that come with removing the GIL.

Also at PyCon 2016, Guido himself mentions the Gilectomy project and it's potential consideration (if it works) for Python 3.6+ [3].

So when you say Python leaders declared the GIL a "non-issue", I think you are oversimplifying the actual reality of what removing the GIL means and why leaders (like Guido) have been reluctant to invest resources pursuing.

[1] http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=214235

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3AyI_u66Bw

[3] https://youtu.be/YgtL4S7Hrwo?t=10m59s

⬐ tedmiston

Due to a bug in Speaker Deck [ticket filed], slides for this talk aren't yet available, but will be here soon alongside most other PyCon 2016 sessions.

https://speakerdeck.com/pycon2016

As a workaround in the meantime, you can access several decks from Google's cache by copying a URL from here, then searching it prefaced by "cache:".

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?client=safari&r...