taking the example verbatim into an ubuntu 20.04 with
 Python 3.8.5 (default, Jan 27 2021, 15:41:15)
[GCC 9.3.0] on linux

will hand indefinitely at 
data = await reader.read(100)

changing for 
data = await asyncio.wait_for(reader.read(100),5)

will always leave on timeout.

I was able to execute the example in Debian 10 + Python 3.10+

Did you execute the server too? You need to create two files, one for the client code and one for the server code, the server as specified by the example should be something like the code below, try to save it to a file, then execute it, after that execute the client example that you have cited.

import asyncio

async def handle_echo(reader, writer):
    data = await reader.read(100)
    message = data.decode()
    addr = writer.get_extra_info('peername')

    print(f"Received {message!r} from {addr!r}")

    print(f"Send: {message!r}")
    writer.write(data)
    await writer.drain()

    print("Close the connection")
    writer.close()

async def main():
    server = await asyncio.start_server(
        handle_echo, '127.0.0.1', 8888)

    addr = server.sockets[0].getsockname()
    print(f'Serving on {addr}')

    async with server:
        await server.serve_forever()

asyncio.run(main())

@jaswdr

Thanks for your response.

No I did not run the server that you mention. 

The language made me imply that the same process, in two separate coroutines, would be writing/reading from each end of the tcp connection. One writing to the tcp buffer, the second one draining it.

If  the intended usage is as you explain, please close the issue.

My bad, sorry.

JC

@jcolo

Awesome to hear that you were able to run the example, in fact I got in the same trap, thinking the same that the example should carry the server and client side, I guess we can improve the documentation to avoid it, I'll sent a PR to make the improvement.