critical error with import tempfile

[AndreyMorozov]

BPO	13524
Nosy	@pitrou, @tjguk
Files	run_me.py test1.py

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/tjguk'
closed_at = <Date 2011-12-06.09:58:09.296>
created_at = <Date 2011-12-03.12:20:23.280>
labels = ['library', 'OS-windows', 'type-crash']
title = 'critical error with import tempfile'
updated_at = <Date 2011-12-06.09:58:09.295>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/AndreyMorozov'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2011-12-06.09:58:09.295>
actor = 'tim.golden'
assignee = 'tim.golden'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2011-12-06.09:58:09.296>
closer = 'tim.golden'
components = ['Library (Lib)', 'Windows']
creation = <Date 2011-12-03.12:20:23.280>
creator = 'Andrey.Morozov'
dependencies = []
files = ['23838', '23839']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 13524
keywords = []
message_count = 9.0
messages = ['148792', '148793', '148795', '148796', '148822', '148823', '148824', '148850', '148877']
nosy_count = 3.0
nosy_names = ['pitrou', 'tim.golden', 'Andrey.Morozov']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'wont fix'
stage = None
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'crash'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue13524'
versions = ['Python 2.7', 'Python 3.2', 'Python 3.3']

[AndreyMorozov]

run_me.py:
import subprocess, sys
e = {'PATH_TO_MY_APPS' : "path/to/my/apps"}
p = subprocess.Popen(sys.executable + " test1.py 123", env=e, shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
print(p.stdout.readlines())
p.wait()

test1.py:
1: import sys, os
2: #import tempfile
3: print("hello : " + sys.platform + " PATH: " + os.environ['PATH_TO_MY_APPS'])

System:
Python 2.7.2 x64, Windows x64 7 Pro + SP1

Problem:
if I run python run_me.py then I see on my stdout:
['hello : win32 PATH: path/to/my/apps\r\n']

but if I uncomment line number 2 in test1.py and run python run_me.py then I see on my stdout :

C:\tmp\python_test>python run_me.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "test1.py", line 2, in <module>
    import tempfile
  File "C:\Python27\lib\tempfile.py", line 34, in <module>
    from random import Random as _Random
  File "C:\Python27\lib\random.py", line 883, in <module>
    _inst = Random()
  File "C:\Python27\lib\random.py", line 97, in __init__
    self.seed(x)
  File "C:\Python27\lib\random.py", line 111, in seed
    a = long(_hexlify(_urandom(16)), 16)
WindowsError: [Error -2146893818] Invalid Signature
[]

[AndreyMorozov]

WIDW ?

[tjguk]

The environment passed to a Windows process must contain
certain things. (I don't at this moment remember exactly
what). You can't just pass the one thing you're adding.
Change your "e = ..." line to something like:

e = os.environ
e['PATH_TO_MY_CODE'] = '/x/y/z'

and then try the code.

Obviously the subprocess module doesn't have enough
checks in place for this -- it actually segfaults on my
WinXP machine. But can you confirm that this is indeed
your issue?

[AndreyMorozov]

it fix my problem:

e = os.environ.copy()
e['PATH_TO_MY_APPS'] = "path/to/my/apps"

p = subprocess.Popen(sys.executable + " test1.py 123", env=e, shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)

answer: need have copy of environments

[tjguk]

Re-opening because there's a real problem here which can crash Python hard. Simplest reproduction:

import sys
import subprocess

subprocess.Popen (sys.executable, env={})

Affects 2.x and 3.x tip (haven't tried others yet but I don't imagine it's different)

[pitrou]

Re-opening because there's a real problem here which can crash Python
hard.

Works under Linux. Is it Windows-specific?

[tjguk]

Yes. I've added the "Windows" component on the tracker.
(At least I think I have). It's to do with CreateProcess
needing at least certain items in the environment passed.
I'm trying to track down some docs on MSDN which specify
which must be there.

[tjguk]

OK, the long and short is that spwaning a process without passing
in SystemRoot is asking for trouble. There's a blog post here
which gives an example:

http://jpassing.com/2009/12/28/the-hidden-danger-of-forgetting-to-specify-systemroot-in-a-custom-environment-block/

And, certainly this works:

import os
import subprocess
subprocess.Popen(
     "notepad.exe",
     env={"SystemRoot" : os.environ['SystemRoot']}
)

I'm not quite sure what approach we should take in the subprocess
module. Is it a docs warning? Should we refuse to proceed if there's
no SystemRoot? Is it the caller's responsibility?
I'll ask on python-dev to gather opinions.

[tjguk]

After a discussion on python-dev:

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2011-December/114733.html

I propose to close this call tomorrow as wontfix