python / python/cpython

Document that bf_getbuffer must prevent GC (only under freethreading?) to write to its `view` argument

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Description

https://docs.python.org/3/c-api/typeobj.html#c.PyBufferProcs.bf_getbuffer

does not mention any requirement for the callee to hold the GIL or otherwise prevent Python GC to write to the view argument. One might think this is safe, because one has no particular reason to think that the view object is shared between threads and that the bf_getbuffer implementation has exclusive access to it.

However, the view object can be allocated from GC memory, e.g., in https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/4f07fd59cbd2656ae31e164098b8d10c5b7e51f0/Objects/memoryobject.c#L72
and this means that we may see concurrent GC traversals if we do not prevent GC (e.g., by holding the GIL).

Under free-threading mode, I saw the following race in the JAX test suite which I believe stems from this problem:

WARNING: ThreadSanitizer: data race (pid=268192)
  Read of size 8 at 0x7fffc2221a38 by thread T69 (mutexes: read M0):
    #0 mbuf_traverse /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/memoryobject.c:134:5 (python3.13+0x27f190) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)
    #1 update_refs /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Python/gc_free_threading.c:441:5 (python3.13+0x44854a) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)
    #2 _mi_heap_area_visit_blocks /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/mimalloc/heap.c:630:14 (python3.13+0x2a9fe4) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)
    #3 mi_heap_area_visitor /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/mimalloc/heap.c:681:12 (python3.13+0x2aa547) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)
    #4 mi_heap_visit_areas_page /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/mimalloc/heap.c:661:10 (python3.13+0x2aa547)
    #5 mi_heap_visit_pages /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/mimalloc/heap.c:46:12 (python3.13+0x2aa547)
    #6 mi_heap_visit_areas /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/mimalloc/heap.c:667:10 (python3.13+0x2aa547)
    #7 mi_heap_visit_blocks /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/mimalloc/heap.c:692:10 (python3.13+0x2aa547)
    #8 gc_visit_heaps_lock_held /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Python/gc_free_threading.c:267:14 (python3.13+0x4446ff) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)
    #9 gc_visit_heaps /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Python/gc_free_threading.c:306:11 (python3.13+0x4446ff)
    #10 deduce_unreachable_heap /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Python/gc_free_threading.c:614:5 (python3.13+0x4458db) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)
    #11 gc_collect_internal /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Python/gc_free_threading.c:1126:15 (python3.13+0x4458db)
    #12 gc_collect_main /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Python/gc_free_threading.c:1239:5 (python3.13+0x4458db)
    #13 _Py_RunGC /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Python/gc_free_threading.c:1684:5 (python3.13+0x44730e) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)

 Previous write of size 8 at 0x7fffc2221a38 by thread T68 (mutexes: read M0):
    #0 __tsan_memset  (python3.13+0xda21d) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)
    #1 memset /usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu/bits/string_fortified.h:59:10 (xla_extension.so+0xa7a60ec) (BuildId: 0cb922163d5a5c8d99583339143c71c4c2e776b1)
    #2 xla::(anonymous namespace)::PyArray_bf_getbuffer(_object*, Py_buffer*, int)::$_0::operator()() const /proc/self/cwd/external/xla/xla/python/py_array.cc:1601:5 (xla_extension.so+0xa7a60ec)
    #3 xla::(anonymous namespace)::PyArray_bf_getbuffer(_object*, Py_buffer*, int) /proc/self/cwd/external/xla/xla/python/py_array.cc:1518:25 (xla_extension.so+0xa7a60ec)
    #4 PyObject_GetBuffer /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/abstract.c:442:15 (python3.13+0x1ba90d) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)
    #5 _PyManagedBuffer_FromObject /__w/jax/jax/cpython/Objects/memoryobject.c:97:9 (python3.13+0x27fdf5) (BuildId: 5001c71441642d7e6efdfc82265e7ee63d55228e)

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Research direction

Start with the C API reference at docs.python.org/3/c-api/typeobj.html, focusing on PyBufferProcs.bf_getbuffer, and inspect the linked Objects/memoryobject.c allocation site for context. Clarify whether the requirement applies only to free-threading mode and document how implementations must protect writes to the view argument; done means the API documentation explicitly states the applicable synchronization requirement.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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