Fatal error after RE-installing Python 2.3.4

[Cappy2112]

I've just started a job which has a massive python2.3.4-centric tools
installation and configuration.

I know what you're going to say, but I can't upgrade and be the only
one with a newer version. There are close to 30 engineers using this
same tools configuration, and it has been working fine for a long time.
For now, we all have to live with the limitations and or bugs in 2.3.4.

I'm running Windows XP, SP2, on a AMD 1.79Ghz MP 2200+.

After editing/testing one of the python test scripts, I was about to
check a small script change into cvs, when my mentor suggested running
pychecker. When I did this, I saw a several pages full of warnings.

For me not knowing the code base well enough to know what to expect, He
thought this was odd, took the file, ran pychecker on his system, with
the file I've edited, and only sees 4-5 warnings.

We have the same version of Python, that being 2.3.4, the same version
of pychecker which is 0.8.14.

I had deleted and re-installed pychecker, and still saw the same
warnings.
I have compared this to another machine, and again, I am the odd man
out.

I've deleted all the Python packages, pythonwin, and The core 2.3.4
distribution, and re-installed everything from scratch.

Now, When I launch Python from a cmd console, the following is reported

C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe- python
The NTVDM CPU has encountered an illegal instruction.
Chose close to terminate the application.
Oddly enough, when I run Python.exe from the Program Files menu, it
launches just fine.
The virus scanner doesn't find any known viruses, and I've also
disabled the virus checker after un-installing-reinstalling Python the
last time.
I've also tried downloading another copy of the installer.

Does anyone have any ideas what is causing this and how to fix it? My
job depends on me getting Python2.3.4 back to working order.

thanks

[Eric]

Cappy2112 wrote:

I've just started a job which has a massive python2.3.4-centric tools
installation and configuration.

I know what you're going to say, but I can't upgrade and be the only
one with a newer version. There are close to 30 engineers using this
same tools configuration, and it has been working fine for a long time.
For now, we all have to live with the limitations and or bugs in 2.3.4.

I'm running Windows XP, SP2, on a AMD 1.79Ghz MP 2200+.

After editing/testing one of the python test scripts, I was about to
check a small script change into cvs, when my mentor suggested running
pychecker. When I did this, I saw a several pages full of warnings.

For me not knowing the code base well enough to know what to expect, He
thought this was odd, took the file, ran pychecker on his system, with
the file I've edited, and only sees 4-5 warnings.

We have the same version of Python, that being 2.3.4, the same version
of pychecker which is 0.8.14.

I had deleted and re-installed pychecker, and still saw the same
warnings.
I have compared this to another machine, and again, I am the odd man
out.

I've deleted all the Python packages, pythonwin, and The core 2.3.4
distribution, and re-installed everything from scratch.

Now, When I launch Python from a cmd console, the following is reported

C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe- python
The NTVDM CPU has encountered an illegal instruction.
Chose close to terminate the application.
Oddly enough, when I run Python.exe from the Program Files menu, it
launches just fine.
The virus scanner doesn't find any known viruses, and I've also
disabled the virus checker after un-installing-reinstalling Python the
last time.
I've also tried downloading another copy of the installer.

Does anyone have any ideas what is causing this and how to fix it? My
job depends on me getting Python2.3.4 back to working order.

thanks

What happens when you run "C:\Python2.3\python.exe" from the command
line (or the equivalent path)? How about pythonw.exe (or the windowed
equivalent, not sure about the naming)? Are .py and .pyw files
displayed with the correct icons? When installing Python packages, is
Python 2.3 detected as the default installation?

Since there was a lot of uninstalling and reinstalling, I'm suspicious
that the Windows registry was messed up somewhere along the line. If
you're suave with regedit, you could try poking around in there.

Finally, does your $PATH include the Python directory? That could also
cause problems if it doesn't.

And, what sorts of warnings did PyChecker display? Missing
files/modules?

[John Machin]

Cappy2112 wrote:

I've just started a job which has a massive python2.3.4-centric tools
installation and configuration.

I know what you're going to say, but I can't upgrade and be the only
one with a newer version. There are close to 30 engineers using this
same tools configuration, and it has been working fine for a long time.
For now, we all have to live with the limitations and or bugs in 2.3.4.

I'm running Windows XP, SP2, on a AMD 1.79Ghz MP 2200+.

After editing/testing one of the python test scripts, I was about to
check a small script change into cvs, when my mentor suggested running
pychecker. When I did this, I saw a several pages full of warnings.

For me not knowing the code base well enough to know what to expect, He
thought this was odd, took the file, ran pychecker on his system, with
the file I've edited, and only sees 4-5 warnings.

We have the same version of Python, that being 2.3.4, the same version
of pychecker which is 0.8.14.

I had deleted and re-installed pychecker, and still saw the same
warnings.
I have compared this to another machine, and again, I am the odd man
out.

I've deleted all the Python packages, pythonwin, and The core 2.3.4
distribution, and re-installed everything from scratch.

"deleted" the core 2.3.4 distribution [from where? how?] or
"uninstalled"?
Was c:\windows\system32\python23.dll blown away?

Are you installing it for "all users" or for a single user?
Do a search for python23.dll -- you may find two. This can happen if
you have switched from one way to the other way. DLL in
c:\windows\system32 =all users. DLL somewhere else e.g. c:\python23
=specific user. Check how this is set up on other working boxes.
Check date and size while you are doing that. Also check what they have
on their system path compared to yours.

>
Now, When I launch Python from a cmd console, the following is reported

C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe- python
The NTVDM CPU has encountered an illegal instruction.
Chose close to terminate the application.

Have you tried running it with the -v commandline arg to see how far it
gets before crashing?

>

Oddly enough, when I run Python.exe from the Program Files menu, it
launches just fine.

Yeah, different path.

>

The virus scanner doesn't find any known viruses, and I've also
disabled the virus checker after un-installing-reinstalling Python the
last time.
I've also tried downloading another copy of the installer.

Does anyone have any ideas what is causing this and how to fix it? My
job depends on me getting Python2.3.4 back to working order.

Some thoughts and questions:
1. Telling us what the allegedly spurious pychecker warnings were would
be a good idea.
2. I don't understand the "my job depends" part. Are you responsible
for providing your own computer and installing your own tool-chain on
it?? Is this an initiative test? Can't you get the admin(s) to install
a clean tested kit for you?
3. What is this PC's history? Has it been used successfully in this
environment before you turned up? Was the previous holder of the
position allowed near it after he was told he was getting the chop? Are
all the other engineers using the same configuration?
4. Is Python 2.3.5 a possibility?

HTH,
John

[Cappy2112]

What happens when you run "C:\Python2.3\python.exe" from the command
line (or the equivalent path)? How about pythonw.exe (or the windowed
equivalent, not sure about the naming)?

>>Are .py and .pyw files displayed with the correct icons?

Yes.

>>When installing Python packages, is Python 2.3 detected as the default installation?

Yes

>>Finally, does your $PATH include the Python directory? That could also

cause problems if it doesn't.

I doubt that the path would cause this type of problem. If the path
wasn't found the exe wouldn't run, and this error wouldnt be displayed.

>>And, what sorts of warnings did PyChecker display? Missing files/modules?

Missing modules, mostly, but Pychecker isnt a concern at this point.
It was merely what prompted me to re-install everything.

All of my tests scripts could be executed via python my script.py, from
a cmd console before I re-installed.

I have unisntaleld & re-installed Python 2.3.4 many times- using
different installers, to eliminate a corrupted installation medmium,
but they all result in the same error when I run python from a cmd
console.

[Cappy2112]

"deleted" the core 2.3.4 distribution [from where? how?] or
"uninstalled"?

Uninstalled

>Was c:\windows\system32\python23.dll blown away?

Yes, as part of the uninstall process.

>>Are you installing it for "all users" or for a single user?

ALl users, using Admin priveledges

Do a search for python23.dll -- you may find two. This can happen if
you have switched from one way to the other way. DLL in
c:\windows\system32 =all users. DLL somewhere else e.g. c:\python23
=specific user. Check how this is set up on other working boxes.
Check date and size while you are doing that. Also check what they have
on their system path compared to yours.

will try on Monday
My path is the same. We all followa detailed installation, tools
configuration procedure/.
I've compared my path to one other workign machine.

Have you tried running it with the -v commandline arg to see how far it
gets before crashing?

No- will try it on Monday

Oddly enough, when I run Python.exe from the Program Files menu, it
launches just fine.

Yeah, different path.

Some thoughts and questions:
1. Telling us what the allegedly spurious pychecker warnings were would
be a good idea.

pychecker isn't really a concern at this point- and has ben uninstalled
(actually deleted, since there is no installer/uninstaller for this
package.)
But I was getting lots of missing module warnings, which two of my
co-workers did not get.

2. I don't understand the "my job depends" part. Are you responsible
for providing your own computer and installing your own tool-chain on
it??

No

>>Is this an initiative test?

No.

>>Can't you get the admin(s) to install a clean tested kit for you?

No.

3. What is this PC's history? Has it been used successfully in this
environment before you turned up?

Yes- I have been using it to run python scripts for the last 2 weeks.
When I saw the pychecker anomally, I decided to rein-install Python & a
few of the packages.

>>Are all the other engineers using the same configuration?

yes

>>4. Is Python 2.3.5 a possibility?

No, not in practice. But I tried installing 2.3.5 to see what would
happen.
Same problem.

Thanks

[John Machin]

Cappy2112 wrote:

>

Some thoughts and questions:
1. Telling us what the allegedly spurious pychecker warnings were would
be a good idea.

pychecker isn't really a concern at this point- and has ben uninstalled
(actually deleted, since there is no installer/uninstaller for this
package.)
But I was getting lots of missing module warnings, which two of my
co-workers did not get.

That's right, pychecker is not a concern. It's very unlikely to be part
of the problem. Do please consider that it could be part of the
*solution* -- which missing modules? what directories are they in on
your co-workers' machines? what directories are they in on your machine
-- same/different/none??? Answers to those questions might just give
you a clue as to what is going on.

Talking about clues, are there entries in drwtsn32.log from when Python
crashes? Do they give any clues?

When I saw the pychecker anomally, I decided to rein-install Python & a
few of the packages.

Uh-oh ... what packages? Which few? Suggestion: (1) Re-install Python.
Check if it crashes. (2) Install package 1, check, install package 2,
check, ...

Note: Uninstalling Python will blow all your packages away iff they are
all installed in the site-packages directory of the Python
installation. It may be worth exploring this hypothesis: package has
PYD or DLL, it's corrupted, it's installed outside the normal Python
package hierarchy, so doesn't get cleaned away ...

Recall that you get Python crashing only when run in the command
window; this may indicate that the PATH environment variable is causing
something else to be loaded than what you expect. Try looking in every
directory in that path to see if there is any old rubbish there:
python*.exe, python23.dll, some_package.dll, some_package.pyd, ...

BTW, if python -v doesn't clue you in, try python -vv
---- that's "v" * 2, not dubya :-)

HTH,
John