Some very basic support for the signal module.

Catching signals while another interpreter has registered `signal`
module handlers still does not work, because we don't have a good way to
make the callbacks per-interpreter. We'd need something like PEP 788's
weak reference API to safely keep references to interpreters without
worrying about concurrent deallocation during signal handling.

Author: ZeroIntensity

Doc/library/signal.rst

@@ -61,12 +61,13 @@ This has consequences:
 Signals and threads
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
-Python signal handlers are always executed in the main Python thread of the main interpreter,
+Python signal handlers are always executed in the main Python thread of
+intepreters that support signal handling (:c:member:`PyInterpreterConfig.can_handle_signals`),
 even if the signal was received in another thread.  This means that signals
 can't be used as a means of inter-thread communication.  You can use
 the synchronization primitives from the :mod:`threading` module instead.
 
-Besides, only the main thread of the main interpreter is allowed to set a new signal handler.
+Besides, only the main thread is allowed to set a new signal handler.
 
 
 Module contents
@@ -421,7 +422,7 @@ The :mod:`signal` module defines the following functions:
    same process as the caller.  The target thread can be executing any code
    (Python or not).  However, if the target thread is executing the Python
    interpreter, the Python signal handlers will be :ref:`executed by the main
-   thread of the main interpreter <signals-and-threads>`.  Therefore, the only point of sending a
+   thread of a supporting interpreter <signals-and-threads>`.  Therefore, the only point of sending a
    signal to a particular Python thread would be to force a running system call
    to fail with :exc:`InterruptedError`.
 
@@ -523,7 +524,7 @@ The :mod:`signal` module defines the following functions:
    any bytes from *fd* before calling poll or select again.
 
    When threads are enabled, this function can only be called
-   from :ref:`the main thread of the main interpreter <signals-and-threads>`;
+   from :ref:`the main thread of a supporting interpreter <signals-and-threads>`;
    attempting to call it from other threads will cause a :exc:`ValueError`
    exception to be raised.
 
@@ -578,7 +579,7 @@ The :mod:`signal` module defines the following functions:
    above).  (See the Unix man page :manpage:`signal(2)` for further information.)
 
    When threads are enabled, this function can only be called
-   from :ref:`the main thread of the main interpreter <signals-and-threads>`;
+   from :ref:`the main thread of a supporting interpreter <signals-and-threads>`;
    attempting to call it from other threads will cause a :exc:`ValueError`
    exception to be raised.
 

Lib/test/test_interpreters/test_api.py

@@ -2364,6 +2364,8 @@ def test_set___main___attrs(self):
                 )
             self.assertEqual(rc, 0)
 
+
+class SignalTests(TestBase):
     @support.requires_subprocess()
     @unittest.skipIf(os.name == 'nt', 'SIGINT not supported on windows')
     def test_interpreter_handles_signals(self):
@@ -2431,6 +2433,25 @@ def test_legacy_interpreter_does_not_handle_signals(self):
         self.assertIn(b"KeyboardInterrupt", stderr)
         self.assertNotIn(b"AssertionError", stderr)
 
+    @unittest.skipIf(os.name == 'nt', 'SIGUSR1 not supported')
+    def test_signal_module_in_subinterpreters(self):
+        read, write = self.pipe()
+        interp = interpreters.create()
+        interp.exec(f"""if True:
+        import signal
+        import os
+
+        def sig(signum, stack):
+            signame = signal.Signals(signum).name
+            assert signame == "SIGUSR1"
+            os.write({write}, b'x')
+
+        signal.signal(signal.SIGUSR1, sig)
+        signal.raise_signal(signal.SIGUSR1)
+        """)
+        self.assertEqual(os.read(read, 1), b'x')
+
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     # Test needs to be a package, so we can do relative imports.

Modules/signalmodule.c

@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ trip_signal(int sig_num)
     int fd = wakeup.fd;
     if (fd != INVALID_FD) {
         PyInterpreterState *interp = _PyInterpreterState_Main();
+        assert(interp != NULL);
         unsigned char byte = (unsigned char)sig_num;
 #ifdef MS_WINDOWS
         if (wakeup.use_send) {
@@ -507,7 +508,7 @@ signal_signal_impl(PyObject *module, int signalnum, PyObject *handler)
     if (!_Py_ThreadCanHandleSignals(tstate->interp)) {
         _PyErr_SetString(tstate, PyExc_ValueError,
                          "signal only works in main thread "
-                         "of the main interpreter");
+                         "of interpreters that support it");
         return NULL;
     }
     if (signalnum < 1 || signalnum >= Py_NSIG) {
@@ -751,7 +752,7 @@ signal_set_wakeup_fd_impl(PyObject *module, PyObject *fdobj,
     if (!_Py_ThreadCanHandleSignals(tstate->interp)) {
         _PyErr_SetString(tstate, PyExc_ValueError,
                          "set_wakeup_fd only works in main thread "
-                         "of the main interpreter");
+                         "of supporting interpreters");
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -1661,7 +1662,7 @@ signal_module_exec(PyObject *m)
 #endif
 
     PyThreadState *tstate = _PyThreadState_GET();
-    if (_Py_IsMainInterpreter(tstate->interp)) {
+    if (_Py_ThreadCanHandleSignals(tstate->interp)) {
         if (signal_get_set_handlers(state, d) < 0) {
             return -1;
         }