python / python/cpython

InterpreterPoolExecutor workers do not inherit modifications made to sys.path before starting.

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3.14 stdlib topic-subinterpreters type-bug
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

All existing executors will reflect modifications to sys.path in the child thread/process/whatever that gets started. However the new InterpreterPoolExecutor is not copying this behavior, leading to unexpected import errors when for example running sub-intepreters inside of pytest, as the test directory is added to the sys.path in the parent interpreter but will be lost in the sub-interpreter.

This is easily worked around by using an initializer:

pool = InterpreterPoolExecutor(
        max_workers=queue.concurrency,
        initializer=on_initialize_worker,
        initargs=(sys.path,),
 )
 
 def on_initialize_worker(parent_sys_path: list[str]):
        """
        This method is called in each worker before it begins running jobs.
        It can be used to perform any necessary setup, such as loading NLTK
        datasets or calling ``django.setup()``.

        By default, it replaces the running job's ``sys.path`` with the workers.
        """
        # Unlike all other executors, the InterpreterPoolExecutor does not
        # automatically inherit the parent process's sys.path. This is a
        # workaround to ensure that the worker has the same sys.path as the
        # parent process or tests will fail.
        sys.path = parent_sys_path

This behavior makes sense for sub-interpreters themselves, but probably not for the InterpreterPoolExecutor.

cc. @ericsnowcurrently

CPython versions tested on:

3.13, 3.14

Operating systems tested on:

Linux

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by locating the CPython implementation and tests for InterpreterPoolExecutor, then compare how existing executors handle parent sys.path changes before workers start. Reproduce the reported import failure with a path added before creating the executor. Done means workers inherit that modified path without requiring an initializer, with regression coverage for Python 3.13 and later behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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