Python uuids may not be persistent across time

[xdegaye]

BPO	32201
Nosy	@warsaw, @vstinner, @ned-deily, @xdegaye, @serhiy-storchaka

^{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 = None
closed_at = <Date 2017-12-02.16:02:05.256>
created_at = <Date 2017-12-02.15:44:11.590>
labels = ['3.7', 'invalid', 'type-bug', 'library']
title = 'Python uuids may not be persistent across time'
updated_at = <Date 2017-12-02.16:02:05.254>
user = 'https://github.com/xdegaye'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2017-12-02.16:02:05.254>
actor = 'xdegaye'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2017-12-02.16:02:05.256>
closer = 'xdegaye'
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2017-12-02.15:44:11.590>
creator = 'xdegaye'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 32201
keywords = []
message_count = 2.0
messages = ['307435', '307437']
nosy_count = 5.0
nosy_names = ['barry', 'vstinner', 'ned.deily', 'xdegaye', 'serhiy.storchaka']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'not a bug'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue32201'
versions = ['Python 2.7', 'Python 3.6', 'Python 3.7']

[xdegaye]

UUIDs are unique and persistent across time and space.

UUIDs generated using the getnode() function of the uuid module on a plaform where getnode() cannot use the MAC address are based on a random number created for that purpose and are therefore transient and only valid during the life time of the python process. This seems to be a bug.

My understanding of RFC 4122 is that in that case, the random number is generated only once, otherwise the usefulness of this method is not obvious. In any case the user should be made aware of the transientness of the result of getnode() since persistency is a key feature of UUIDs.

[xdegaye]

Hum, I misunderstood the meaning of persistency in this context. It is the uniqueness that is persistent. Sorry for the noise, closing now.