Re: gc and call/cc design space notes (DRAFT)

[Miroslav Silovic]

Tom Lord <address@hidden> writes:

> * gc and call/cc
> 
> There are two problems with the Guile execution model: one is that
> conservative GC isn't robust; another is that call/cc is slow.
> 
> The GC robustness problem is particularly worrisome for long-running
> applications, such as Guile-emacs.  It also creates some unique
> security problems in applications where that matters.

Honestly, I still don't see GC robustness as a problem, and I see the
solutions to it as a possible source of the entirely new problems (all
of the candidates are high-complexity).

One datapoint: SART (my 3d renderer) didn't have any problems
whatsoever with conservativity, despite running for hours at 100% CPU
usage with LOTS of cells and smobs pointing at each other, and lots of
garbage allocation (but it did have problems with noncompacting
malloc, and debugging scm_must_malloc sucked).

I'd kinda go with Hans Boehm conclusions about this.

I do see possible problems with infinite sequences (the canonical
delay/force use). I believe that the exceptions where CGC won't run
well can be relatively easily documented.

-- 
How to eff the ineffable?