In Search of the Perfect Global Interpreter Lock

As most Python programmers know, the C implementation of Python features a global interpreter lock (GIL) that restricts its execution to a single CPU core. Given the widespread use of multicore machines, this limitation is often perceived as a problem. In this talk, I'll provide a little background about what the GIL is, how it works, and why it's not exactly what most programmers think it is. I'll then talk about recent efforts to make GIL better and why an improved GIL is a much more feasible (and possibly more desirable) outcome than getting rid of the GIL entirely.