Running `python3.8 mp-bug-python2.8.py` usually gets stuck after a dozen iterations or so.

It appears that if I stop setting that signal handler it doesn't get stuck. Unfortunately I need it to perform critical cleanup.

This is what I got from gdb:

(gdb) py-bt
Traceback (most recent call first):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/synchronize.py", line 95, in __enter__
    return self._semlock.__enter__()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/queues.py", line 355, in get
    with self._rlock:
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/pool.py", line 370, in worker
    `func` and (a, b) becomes func(a, b).
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/process.py", line 108, in run
    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/process.py", line 569, in _bootstrap
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/popen_fork.py", line 75, in _launch
    code = process_obj._bootstrap(parent_sentinel=child_r)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/popen_fork.py", line 19, in __init__
    self._launch(process_obj)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/context.py", line 276, in _Popen
    return Popen(process_obj)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/process.py", line 633, in start
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/pool.py", line 838, in _repopulate_pool_static
    self._length = None
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/pool.py", line 559, in _repopulate_pool
    outqueue.put(None)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/pool.py", line 212, in __init__
    self._repopulate_pool()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/context.py", line 375, in Pool
  File "mp-bug-python2.8.py", line 21, in <module>



And without the macros:



#0  0x00007f51c79fb6d6 in futex_abstimed_wait_cancelable (private=128, abstime=0x0, expected=0, futex_word=0x7f51c7e29000) at ../sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/futex-internal.h:205
#1  do_futex_wait (sem=sem@entry=0x7f51c7e29000, abstime=0x0) at sem_waitcommon.c:111
#2  0x00007f51c79fb7c8 in __new_sem_wait_slow (sem=0x7f51c7e29000, abstime=0x0) at sem_waitcommon.c:181
#3  0x00007f51c79fb839 in __new_sem_wait (sem=<optimized out>) at sem_wait.c:42
#4  0x00007f51c58d51f7 in semlock_acquire (self=0x7f51c58a60b0, args=<optimized out>, kwds=<optimized out>) at ./Modules/_multiprocessing/semaphore.c:319
#5  0x000000000067d929 in method_vectorcall_VARARGS_KEYWORDS (func=<method_descriptor at remote 0x7f51c6349c70>, args=0x7f51c58a4eb8, nargsf=<optimized out>, kwnames=<optimized out>)
    at ../Objects/descrobject.c:332
#6  0x000000000042c5dc in _PyObject_Vectorcall (kwnames=<optimized out>, nargsf=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>, callable=<optimized out>) at ../Include/cpython/abstract.h:127
#7  call_function (kwnames=0x0, oparg=<optimized out>, pp_stack=<synthetic pointer>, tstate=0x22bd160) at ../Python/ceval.c:4987
#8  _PyEval_EvalFrameDefault (f=<optimized out>, throwflag=<optimized out>) at ../Python/ceval.c:3486
#9  0x0000000000425ed7 in function_code_fastcall (co=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>, nargs=1, globals=<optimized out>) at ../Objects/call.c:283
#10 0x00000000006761e4 in _PyObject_Vectorcall (kwnames=0x0, nargsf=1, args=0x7ffe20bcc908, callable=<function at remote 0x7f51c6356820>) at ../Include/cpython/abstract.h:127
#11 method_vectorcall (method=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>, nargsf=<optimized out>, kwnames=0x0) at ../Objects/classobject.c:67
#12 0x000000000042857e in _PyObject_Vectorcall (kwnames=0x0, nargsf=0, args=0x0, callable=<method at remote 0x7f51c665efc0>) at ../Include/cpython/abstract.h:127
#13 _PyObject_CallNoArg (func=<optimized out>) at ../Include/cpython/abstract.h:153
#14 _PyEval_EvalFrameDefault (f=<optimized out>, throwflag=<optimized out>) at ../Python/ceval.c:3287
#15 0x0000000000425ed7 in function_code_fastcall (co=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>, nargs=1, globals=<optimized out>) at ../Objects/call.c:283
#16 0x0000000000676245 in _PyObject_Vectorcall (kwnames=0x0, nargsf=1, args=0x23cea18, callable=<function at remote 0x7f51c63563a0>) at ../Include/cpython/abstract.h:127
#17 method_vectorcall (method=<optimized out>, args=0x23cea20, nargsf=<optimized out>, kwnames=0x0) at ../Objects/classobject.c:60
#18 0x000000000042cf2f in _PyObject_Vectorcall (kwnames=<optimized out>, nargsf=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>, callable=<optimized out>) at ../Include/cpython/abstract.h:127
#19 call_function (kwnames=0x0, oparg=<optimized out>, pp_stack=<synthetic pointer>, tstate=0x22bd160) at ../Python/ceval.c:4987
#20 _PyEval_EvalFrameDefault (f=<optimized out>, throwflag=<optimized out>) at ../Python/ceval.c:3500
#21 0x00000000004f9f44 in PyEval_EvalFrameEx (throwflag=0,
    f=Frame 0x23ce820, for file /usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/pool.py, line 370, in worker (inqueue=<SimpleQueue(_reader=<Connection(_handle=3, _readable=True, _writable=False) at remote 0x7f51c589dcd0>, _writer=<Connection(_handle=None, _readable=False, _writable=True) at remote 0x7f51c589d940>, _rlock=<Lock(_semlock=<_multiprocessing.SemLock at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>, acquire=<built-in method acquire of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>, release=<built-in method release of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>) at remote 0x7f51c589d0d0>, _poll=<method at remote 0x7f51c58ae2c0>, _wlock=<Lock(_semlock=<_multiprocessing.SemLock at remote 0x7f51c58a1030>, acquire=<built-in method acquire of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a1030>, release=<built-in method release of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a1030>) at remote 0x7f51c589deb0>) at remote 0x7f51c589d3a0>, outqueue=<SimpleQueue(_reader=<Connection(_handle=None, _readable=True, _wr...(truncated))
    at ../Python/ceval.c:741
#22 _PyEval_EvalCodeWithName (_co=<optimized out>, globals=<optimized out>, locals=locals@entry=0x0, args=<optimized out>, argcount=6, kwnames=0x0, kwargs=0x7f51c636e628, kwcount=0, kwstep=1,
    defs=0x7f51c65a4828, defcount=4, kwdefs=0x0, closure=0x0, name='worker', qualname='worker') at ../Python/ceval.c:4298
#23 0x000000000043e7a2 in _PyFunction_Vectorcall (func=func@entry=<function at remote 0x7f51c6352d30>, stack=<optimized out>, nargsf=nargsf@entry=6, kwnames=<optimized out>) at ../Objects/call.c:435
#24 0x000000000044143c in PyVectorcall_Call (callable=<function at remote 0x7f51c6352d30>, tuple=<optimized out>, kwargs=<optimized out>) at ../Objects/call.c:199
#25 0x0000000000428aec in do_call_core (kwdict={},
    callargs=(<SimpleQueue(_reader=<Connection(_handle=3, _readable=True, _writable=False) at remote 0x7f51c589dcd0>, _writer=<Connection(_handle=None, _readable=False, _writable=True) at remote 0x7f51c589d940>, _rlock=<Lock(_semlock=<_multiprocessing.SemLock at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>, acquire=<built-in method acquire of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>, release=<built-in method release of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>) at remote 0x7f51c589d0d0>, _poll=<method at remote 0x7f51c58ae2c0>, _wlock=<Lock(_semlock=<_multiprocessing.SemLock at remote 0x7f51c58a1030>, acquire=<built-in method acquire of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a1030>, release=<built-in method release of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a1030>) at remote 0x7f51c589deb0>) at remote 0x7f51c589d3a0>, <SimpleQueue(_reader=<Connection(_handle=None, _readable=True, _writable=False) at remote 0x7f51c58a7670>, _writer=<Connection(_handle=6, _readable=False, _writable=True) at...(truncated),
    func=<function at remote 0x7f51c6352d30>, tstate=0x22bd160) at ../Python/ceval.c:5034
#26 _PyEval_EvalFrameDefault (f=<optimized out>, throwflag=<optimized out>) at ../Python/ceval.c:3559
#27 0x0000000000425ed7 in function_code_fastcall (co=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>, nargs=1, globals=<optimized out>) at ../Objects/call.c:283
#28 0x000000000042c5dc in _PyObject_Vectorcall (kwnames=<optimized out>, nargsf=<optimized out>, args=<optimized out>, callable=<optimized out>) at ../Include/cpython/abstract.h:127
#29 call_function (kwnames=0x0, oparg=<optimized out>, pp_stack=<synthetic pointer>, tstate=0x22bd160) at ../Python/ceval.c:4987
#30 _PyEval_EvalFrameDefault (f=<optimized out>, throwflag=<optimized out>) at ../Python/ceval.c:3486
#31 0x00000000004f9f44 in PyEval_EvalFrameEx (throwflag=0,
    f=Frame 0x23e7f40, for file /usr/lib/python3.8/multiprocessing/process.py, line 569, in _bootstrap (self=<ForkProcess(_identity=(98,), _config={'authkey': <AuthenticationString at remote 0x7f51c66754c0>, 'semprefix': '/mp', 'daemon': True}, _parent_pid=191540, _parent_name='MainProcess', _popen=None, _closed=False, _target=<function at remote 0x7f51c6352d30>, _args=(<SimpleQueue(_reader=<Connection(_handle=3, _readable=True, _writable=False) at remote 0x7f51c589dcd0>, _writer=<Connection(_handle=None, _readable=False, _writable=True) at remote 0x7f51c589d940>, _rlock=<Lock(_semlock=<_multiprocessing.SemLock at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>, acquire=<built-in method acquire of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>, release=<built-in method release of _multiprocessing.SemLock object at remote 0x7f51c58a60b0>) at remote 0x7f51c589d0d0>, _poll=<method at remote 0x7f51c58ae2c0>, _wlock=<Lock(_semlock=<_multiprocessing.SemLock at remote 0x7f51c58a1030>, acquire=<built-in method acquire of _multiprocessin...(truncated))
    at ../Python/ceval.c:741
#32 _PyEval_EvalCodeWithName (_co=<optimized out>, globals=<optimized out>, locals=locals@entry=0x0, args=<optimized out>, argcount=1, kwnames=0x7f51c589d5c8, kwargs=0x7f51c66fcde8, kwcount=1, kwstep=1,
    defs=0x7f51c6672808, defcount=1, kwdefs=0x0, closure=0x0, name='_bootstrap', qualname='BaseProcess._bootstrap') at ../Python/ceval.c:4298
#33 0x000000000043e7a2 in _PyFunction_Vectorcall (func=<optimized out>, stack=<optimized out>, nargsf=<optimized out>, kwnames=<optimized out>) at ../Objects/call.c:435
#34 0x0000000000676245 in _PyObject_Vectorcall (kwnames=('parent_sentinel',), nargsf=1, args=0x7f51c66fcde0, callable=<function at remote 0x7f51c6681160>) at ../Include/cpython/abstract.h:127
#35 method_vectorcall (method=<optimized out>, args=0x7f51c66fcde8, nargsf=<optimized out>, kwnames=('parent_sentinel',)) at ../Objects/classobject.c:60


This issue doesn't reproduce on python 3.7 or earlier.

Several things here:

- you can perform critical cleanup with the atexit module; using a signal handler for that is extremely low-level and error-prone

- you can also try to switch to the "forkserver" method of multiprocessing, perhaps that will fix your issue

atexit proved time and time again to be unreliable, not really an option. Not all programs shutdown nicely enough for atexit. 

Should I tell users "use forkserver on 3.8 because broken stuff"?

Looks like a duplicate of my previous issue

https://bugs.python.org/issue29759

Unfortunately some frameworks like Gunicorn are extensively using signal handlers for their internal purposes.

Reproducing issue with attached test (Python 3.8.2 on Ubuntu 16.04).

Attached working patch.
Tested with signal handler set in Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py:

2329a2330,2331
> def signal_handler(signum, frame):
>     pass
2335a2338
>         cls.old_handler = signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, signal_handler)
2342a2346
>         signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, cls.old_handler)

All passing.