python / python/cpython

profiling: flamegraph export fails with RecursionError on a deeply recursive program

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stdlib topic-profiling type-bug
Dominant language
Python
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Forks
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PR merge metrics
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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

The sampling profiler's flamegraph export (profiling.sampling.stack_collector.FlamegraphCollector.export) builds the flamegraph tree with a recursive walk (convert_children) and then serializes it with json.dumps — both recurse to the depth of the deepest sampled stack. The remote unwinder captures up to MAX_FRAMES (1536) frames, but export runs at the default recursion limit (1000), so profiling a program that recurses deeper than ~1000 makes export() raise RecursionError and write no flamegraph. Both --flamegraph and --diff-flamegraph are affected (the diff collector inherits export).

Reachable when profiling a program that raised its own recursion limit and recurses deeply (recursive-descent parsers, tree/graph walkers, deep serializers).

CPython versions tested on:

CPython main

Operating systems tested on:

Linux, macOS

Linked PRs
  • gh-156546

Contributor guide

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First steps

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  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start in profiling/sampling/stack_collector.py at FlamegraphCollector.export and its convert_children walk. Reproduce with a deeply recursive program whose recursion limit exceeds the captured stack depth, using both --flamegraph and --diff-flamegraph. Done means both export paths produce a flamegraph without RecursionError; review linked PR gh-156546 for work already underway.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
observability, performance
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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