Re: [glob2-devel] Embedded scripting language (again)

[Matthew Marshall]

On Tue 21 Feb 2006 21:10, Bradley Arsenault wrote:
>     1) A full, version and operating system portable vm dump, if desired

IMHO, a far better solution would be to use Stackless Python[1]... a python 
implementation that doesn't use the C stack.  It supports microthreads[2], 
along with serializing them in the middle of execution[3].  (This is really 
all we need.)

One thing to note is that stackless does not yet support python2.4.  However, 
this is planned for a PyCon sprint[4].

>   Cons:
>     1) Is a large dependancy

In the case of stackless, it would be worth considering including it in the 
distribution, especially as it doesn't have a release.  This is how Blender 
and (I assume) EVE Online[5] do it.  (Although, Blender uses standard 
CPython.)  This would also allow cutting out unneeded modules.  (Who needs to 
decode MIME email headers in a map script???)

>     2) Can allow a hacker access to the underlieing system if he/she
> is experienced enough and willing to work around all inplace security
> features (python does have them)

It might be better to say that python _had_ them.  The restricted execution 
framework was disabled in python2.3[6].

Perhaps omitting the 'os' and 'sys' modules and the 'file' type would be all 
that is necessary.  At any rate, Blender had a _browser pluggin_ that would 
execute python code, so it's not like glob2 would be the first.

I think that from a technical standpoint, python would work.  The question I 
see now is, "is it overkill?"  Although I would love to use my favorite 
language in my favorite computer game, Lua or Tea might work just as well, 
with far less overhead ... so ... I guess I'm not being much help here :D

MWM

[1] http://www.stackless.com/
[2] http://www.stackless.com/wiki/Tasklets
[3] http://www.stackless.com/wiki/Pickling
[4] http://www.stackless.com/Members/rmtew/pycon2006
[5] http://www.stackless.com/Members/rmtew/newsPyCon2006Pres
[6] http://python.org/doc/lib/restricted.html