[Chicago-talk] Speaking of threading

[Greg Fast]

On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 17:49:15 -0600, Steven Lembark <lembark at wrkhors.com> wrote:
> -- Greg Fast <gdf at speakeasy.net>
> > general reaction I've gotten from most folk I've talked to has been
> > "perl threads are scary and I don't want to compile my own perl".
> 
> Ask the same people if they drive on the highway. You've
> got much better odds of getting killed walking across the
> street :-)
> 
> q.e.d., the unknown is always more frightening than reality.

I agree with your conclusion, though I think you need to double-check
your stats on highway fatalities :)

I'm still unsure that threaded perls are very widespread, though.  If
I write an app for my own use I don't mind.  If I'm writing it for a
larger audience, it's got strikes against it if the first install step
for a large set of people is going to be "compile a new perl, plus
lots of modules" (threaded and non- perls are binary incompatible, so
any XS modules have to be reinstalled under the new perl).

Any sense for what, say, various Linux distros ship with?

--
Greg Fast
http://cken.chi.groogroo.com/~gdf/