Exception in thread writer 2:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/threading.py", line
485, in _bootstrap_inner
    self.run()
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/threading.py", line
445, in run
    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
  File
"/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/bsddb/test/test_thread.py",
line 80, in writerThread
    self._writerThread(*args, **kwargs)
  File
"/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/bsddb/test/test_thread.py",
line 254, in _writerThread
    self.assertEqual(data, self.makeData(key))
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/unittest.py", line 325,
in failUnlessEqual
    raise self.failureException(msg or '%r != %r' % (first, second))
AssertionError: None != b'2226-2226-2226-2226-2226'

Exception in thread writer 1:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/threading.py", line
485, in _bootstrap_inner
    self.run()
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/threading.py", line
445, in run
    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
  File
"/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/bsddb/test/test_thread.py",
line 80, in writerThread
    self._writerThread(*args, **kwargs)
  File
"/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/bsddb/test/test_thread.py",
line 269, in _writerThread
    self.assertEqual(data, self.makeData(key))
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/unittest.py", line 325,
in failUnlessEqual
    raise self.failureException(msg or '%r != %r' % (first, second))
AssertionError: None != b'1007-1007-1007-1007-1007'

Exception in thread writer 0:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/threading.py", line
485, in _bootstrap_inner
    self.run()
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/threading.py", line
445, in run
    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
  File
"/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/bsddb/test/test_thread.py",
line 80, in writerThread
    self._writerThread(*args, **kwargs)
  File
"/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/bsddb/test/test_thread.py",
line 269, in _writerThread
    self.assertEqual(data, self.makeData(key))
  File "/home/heimes/dev/python/py3k-pep3137/Lib/unittest.py", line 325,
in failUnlessEqual
    raise self.failureException(msg or '%r != %r' % (first, second))
AssertionError: None != b'0004-0004-0004-0004-0004'

Ubuntu Linux 7.10, i386, db 4.4.20

Correction:

The unit test isn't marked as failing but the failing assertion don't
look good.

I've seen this too occasionally.  Greg, can you look at this?

yeah i've seen this at random times as well.  I don't believe its
related to py3k or the pep3137 branch at all, i believe seen it on trunk
but its rare.

For reference, what platform (OS) and BerkeleyDB version did you build
python with when this happened?

The reason the test doesn't fail is that these exceptions occur in
worker threads.  The bsddb thread tests could clearly use some work.

I've mentioned the platform and db version in the last line. You surely
have missed it:

Ubuntu Linux 7.10, i386, db 4.4.20

I updated the subject to better reflect what this is.

My guess is that the test code itself has issues and is asserting
something that isn't quite guaranteed to be true.

does this still apply to the current test suite Jesus?

This still happens regularly on buildbots. Just today:
http://www.python.org/dev/buildbot/3.0.stable/amd64%20gentoo%203.0/builds/925/step-test/0

The bsddb tests must be fixed so that exception raised in other threads
(especially when produced by assert* methods) cause the test to fail.
The exceptions do indicate a failure, which should be corrected rather
than ignored.

agreed, that should be made to cause the test to fail.  a
failureException method that sets a flag that the main thread will
detect and fail on when exiting should do the trick.

side note:
...sadly that failure appears to be a test issue, not really a bsddb
wrapper issue...

(There are many tests in the Lib/bsddb/test/ full test suite that appear
to go overboard as far as testing a python wrapper is concerned and are
effectively tests of BerkeleyDB features themselves.  That doesn't help
our test reliability.)

bsddb3 isn't in py3k.

This issue is no longer reported since pybsddb 4.8.4 integration.
Issue #8156, revision 79285.