Codon Python Compiler Gets Faster - and Changes to Apache 2 License

Slashdot reader rikfarrow summarizes an article they wrote for Usenix.org about the Open Source Python compiler Codon: In 2023 I tried out Codon. At the time I had difficulty compiling the scripts I most commonly used, but was excited by the prospect. Python is essentially single threaded and checks the shape (type) of each variable as it interprets scripts. Codon fixes types and compiles Python into compact, executable binaries that execute much faster.

Several things have changed with their latest release: I have successful compiles, the committers have added a compiled version of NumPy (high performance math algorithms), and changed their open source license to Apache 2.
"The other big news is that Exaloop, the company that is behind Codon, has changed their license to Apache 2..." according to the article, so "commercial use and derivations of Codon are now permitted without licensing."

Wow

[karmawarrior]

"commercial use and derivations of Codon are now permitted without licensing"

For those wondering, it wasn't exactly open source before, licensed under the Business Source License which allows versions over three years old to be relicensed under the APL but puts strict limitations on use before that. I'm glad they've joined the open source community (for now. At least it's bucking the trend set by Redis, Zimbra, Elasticsearch...)

Re:

[ls671]

Yeah, good move from Codon!

I guess if you are really stuck with python code and can't use more efficient languages, Codon provides a nice path, although, as mentioned in TFS, it will never be plug and play and some code that works with the interpreter might not work with Codon.

Oh, really?

[93 Escort Wagon]

Codon fixes types and compiles Python into compact, executable binaries that execute much faster.

In contrast to what other compilers do?

Re: Oh, really?

[Jeremi]

In contrast to the standard CPython implementation , presumably.