[Etnier]

These days Python is usually occupying a large part of my CPU (DP G4 1.42GHz).

It seems I can force-quit it without ill effect.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what Python is and whether I should be seeing it occupying so much of my CPU's time?

[TETENAL]

Python (programming language) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is an interpreted programming language, which means it's some kind of script that is running what consumes your CPU time. What is its parent process?

[Etnier]

I'm not sure I know how to determine that in Activity Monitor. Can you help? Many thanks.

[TETENAL]

In the popup menu at the top of the window you can select the hierarchical view and see there who launched what.

[alligator]

From what I understand, it's a programming language. You would have had to install it yourself. It runs in the background unless you kill it.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by alligator 

From what I understand, it's a programming language. You would have had to install it yourself. It runs in the background unless you kill it.

Python is included with OS X. He's probably running some app that is written in Python (maybe Bittorrent — I'm pretty sure that was originally Python).

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Python is included with OS X. He's probably running some app that is written in Python (maybe Bittorrent — I'm pretty sure that was originally Python).

Yeah, BitTorrent is Python... As is Mailman, another popular Python app.

[Etnier]

Turns out you can "inspect" apps in Activity Monitor, and I'm showing Mail as the culprit here. It figures: Mail has generally turned into the biggest PITA on my computer, often spending 5 minutes retrieving a single tiny piece of mail, and exhibiting other nasty behaviors.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Etnier 

Turns out you can "inspect" apps in Activity Monitor, and I'm showing Mail as the culprit here. It figures: Mail has generally turned into the biggest PITA on my computer, often spending 5 minutes retrieving a single tiny piece of mail, and exhibiting other nasty behaviors.

Do you have a lot of mailboxes? Mail is a PITA in that it insists on caching your entire mail collection and keeping this cache up-to-date. You can turn off the caching, but not on a folder-by-folder basis, but for the account as a whole.

The WWDC build of Leopard I was playing with finally allows for folder subscriptions which ought to help - hiding the folders you want to retain but not see or have Mail process on a day-to-day basis. I only wish it also provided the option as to which folders to check for new messages (without this server-side rules are nearly useless).

It is astonishing how Mail is missing some extremely basic features present in just about every other email client under the sun.

[Etnier]

Thanks, Besson. I didn't really think I had a lot of mailboxes but I did just now delete a handful.

I can't find a caching control in Mail. Would you mind directing me to it? Many thanks.

[besson3c]

Preferences -> Accounts -> Advanced -> Keep messages for offline viewing


I eventually ditched Mail for Thunderbird, you may want to consider this option as well.

[Etnier]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Preferences -> Accounts -> Advanced -> Keep messages for offline viewing


I eventually ditched Mail for Thunderbird, you may want to consider this option as well.

Oddly, that pref is absent on my Mail- Version 2.1 (752/752.2)

Thunderbird! Have to check that out! I have purchased and paid for Eudora, but just don't like it at all.
Import and go?

Thanks.

[besson3c]

Are you using IMAP accounts? If so, that pref has to be there, it's been there forever in all versions of Mail. If not, Mail will have to download every message due to the nature of the POP3 protocol (if you can, use IMAP, it's much better all round).

[Etnier]

I tried to convert from POP3 to IMAP but my existing mail & boxes all went away.

Thanks for your help though. I'm certainly squared away with the question as to Python.