New submission from Robert Ancell: The Python os.getenv() function accesses an Python dictionary which is mirroring the process environment. This dictionary is populated when the interpreter starts and updated when os.environ.__setitem__() or os.putenv() are called. However if the python program imports an extension module that uses the system putenv() then the changes cannot be accessed using the Python standard library.
This has been a problem for us as we have created Python bindings to an existing C based library that modifies the environment dynamically (not the best design decision...). The workaround we are using is to create our own wrapper to the system (Solaris/Linux) getenv(). A potential solution could be to make environ a class where os.environ.__setitem__() calls putenv(), os.environ.__getitem__() calls getenv() and os.environ.keys()/items()/iter*() uses **environ (or other appropriate system call). This does however have undefined issues on how the environment behaves on various systems (memory leaks etc). ---------- components: Library (Lib) messages: 55881 nosy: robert.ancell severity: normal status: open title: os.getenv() not updated after external module uses C putenv() type: behavior versions: Python 2.6 __________________________________ Tracker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://bugs.python.org/issue1159> __________________________________ _______________________________________________ Python-bugs-list mailing list Unsubscribe: http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-bugs-list/archive%40mail-archive.com
