Python 3.11 loses the ability to set PYTHON_DECIMAL_WITH_MACHINE
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Description
Bug report
Python 3.10 had the ability to set PYTHON_DECIMAL_WITH_MACHINE to override the choice of configuration for the _decimal module:
https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/dcb342b5f9d931b030ca310bf3e175bbc54df5aa/setup.py#L2388-L2397
Since Python 3.11, this is no longer possible. This feature was necessary, on macOS particularly, with the --with-system-libmpdec option if that system libmpdec is configured differently to the default Python config. On macOS, the default Python config forces universal, while setting PYTHON_DECIMAL_WITH_MACHINE allowed it to be single-arch.
libmpdec produces different headers depending on how it was built, which is why the setting is important to be able to override. Without it, the _decimal module will fail to compile if the default does not match how system libmpdec was built.
Homebrew's Python currently depends on this feature.
A test within CPython also seems to depend on this feature: https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/f4c03484da59049eb62a9bf7777b963e2267d187/Modules/_decimal/tests/runall-memorydebugger.sh#L63-L79
Your environment
- CPython versions tested on: 3.11.0rc2
- Operating system and architecture: macOS 12 (x86_64 and arm64)
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Compare the Python 3.10 setup.py lines linked in the report with the current build logic for _decimal, then inspect Modules/_decimal/tests/runall-memorydebugger.sh for its use of the setting. Confirm the override works with --with-system-libmpdec on the reported macOS architectures and that the relevant build and test checks pass.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- build-system
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100