arrayfire / arrayfire/arrayfire-python
Backend choice reset inside of threads
- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 422
- Forks
- 63
- PR merge metrics
- No merged PRs in 30d
Description
Inside a new thread, Arrayfire uses the default backend rather than the backend set by the parent thread:
```python
>>> import arrayfire as af
>>> af.get_available_backends()
('cpu', 'cuda', 'opencl')
>>> af.get_active_backend()
'cuda'
>>> af.set_backend('opencl')
>>> af.get_active_backend()
'opencl'
>>> from threading import Thread
>>> Thread(target=lambda: print(af.get_active_backend())).start()
cuda
```
Is this expected behavior and/or documented anywhere? I would think that the active backend should be process local rather than thread local.
If it matters, here's my version info:
OS: Ubuntu 20.04
arrayfire: 3.9.0 (commit [955152b6](https://github.com/arrayfire/arrayfire/commit/955152b6570c608ae74ebd9e6b31d48351cb8a16))
arrayfire-python: 3.8.10
cuda: 11.4.0-1
ocl-icd-libopencl1: 2.2.11-1
intel-mkl: 2020.0.166-1
Contributor guide
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Research direction
Start by reproducing the behavior through the Python threading.Thread entry point and the get_active_backend and set_backend calls shown in the report. Check whether backend selection is documented as thread-local or process-local, and compare the child-thread result with the parent setting. Done means the expected behavior is documented or the reported reset is resolved and covered by a regression test.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- backend-api-design
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 30/100