We just released ActivePython 2.6.5.14 (download it here, release notes here).

One fun change in this build is a fix for the debug bug: a buglet that dates back to 1999 (!) that could potentially have meant any SSL read or write with Python’s OpenSSL bindings would result in a helpful one second sleep(1). Benjamin Peterson succinctly pronounced on the single errant line of code:

Let it die.

Personifying that line of code as Robin’s Minstrels: There was much rejoicing.

Thankfully, as Antoine (on the bug report) and dredge (on Hacker News) pointed out, most OpenSSL builds will not be affected (because of a #ifdef PKT_DEBUG guard). Indeed, ActivePython’s included OpenSSL builds are not affected.