The random.Random class implements both the __getstate__() and __reduce__() methods. My knowledge of the pickle module is very limited, but apparently this causes __getstate__() never to get called. Maybe this is a remnant from earlier code, or are both methods actually needed?

__getstate__ is for pickling instances [0], __reduce__ is for pickling the object itself [1]

^0 http://docs.python.org/2/library/pickle.html#object.__getstate__
^1 http://docs.python.org/2/library/pickle.html#object.__reduce__

Ramchandra, that is not the behavior that I am able to reproduce. Please see the attached example: in the presence of __reduce__(), __getstate__() is not being called whether the class or an instance its pickled. This is also in consonance with what is stated in the docs, which warn that "Although powerful, implementing __reduce__() directly in your classes is error prone. For this reason, class designers should use the high-level interface (i.e., __getnewargs__(), __getstate__() and __setstate__()) whenever possible".

Possibly __getstate__ could be removed.  That said, I would feel a sense of risk in taking it out -- that method has been present for a *very* long time who knows what might rely on it being there.

New changeset 68ed5b2ca867 by R David Murray in branch 'default':
#17489: Add explanatory comment that __getstate__ is not called.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/68ed5b2ca867