The following code causes [Mac]Python 2.3 process to crash 
(Bad!) rather than raise an error (good) when creating a new 
instance of Foo:

class Foo:
	def __init__(self):
		self.x = 1
	
	def __getattr__(self, name):
		if self.x:
			pass # etc...
	
	def __setattr__(self, name, val):
		if self.x:
			pass # etc...


(See <http://freespace.virgin.net/hamish.sanderson/
HTMLTemplate-0.4.0.tar.gz> for a working example plus general 
solution to the referencing-instance-var-before-it's-created 
paradox that threw up this bug in the first place.)

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Assigning to self.x in __init__() calls __setattr__(), which 
checks self.x, which calls __getattr__() which checks self.x, 
which leads to endless recursion. This usually leads to 
a "RuntimeError: maximum recursion depth exceeded". In what 
way does Python 2.3 crash?

To avoid the recursion access the instance dictionary directly:
class Foo:
   def __init__(self):
      self.x = 1

   def __getattr__(self, name):
      if "x" in self.__dict__ and self.__dict__["x"]:
         pass # etc...

   def __setattr__(self, name, val):
      if self.x:
         pass # etc...

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To the OP: Is there still a crash with newest Python 2.4?

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OP: Any further insights?

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Original test used a framework build of Python 2.3.x on Mac OS X 10.2.8; I've 
upgraded to OS 10.4.4 since and can't reproduce the problem on that - I get the 
standard recursion error as expected. I've no further insights into why I had 
problems originally and no-one else seems to have reproduced it, so probably 
best just to close it. Sorry not to be of more help.

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Closing then.