Python moves to remove the GIL and boost concurrency

Abstraction: PEP 703 plan to make CPython GIL optional then remove it

Key points:

• Python Steering Council intends to approve PEP 703 "Making the Global Interpreter Lock Optional in CPython"
• GIL exists because Python's reference-counting memory management isn't thread-safe; past removal attempts degraded single-threaded performance
• PEP 703 uses biased reference counting, immortalization of objects like None, thread-safe memory allocation, deferred reference counting, and a revised garbage collector
• Rollout has three phases: optional experimental no-GIL build, supported alternative build, then no-GIL as default (CPython core dev estimates up to five years total)
• Key challenge is ecosystem buy-in; developers explicitly want to avoid another Python 2-to-3 migration scenario

Connections: Python · Cpython · Global Interpreter Lock · Concurrency

Source: https://www.infoworld.com/article/3704248/python-moves-to-remove-the-gil-and-boost-concurrency.html