platform.node() does not return the latest hostname value

[kashav]

Bug report

Bug description:

I think it's because of how cache is implemented for the uname() helper: https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/5377f55b4e022041b7b57b5489c66c9b3c046c7e/Lib/platform.py#L890-L905.\

Given socket.gethostname() exists as well and respects the latest hostname value, maybe this issue is wontfix. Thought I would file it anyhow.

CPython versions tested on:

3.12

Operating systems tested on:

macOS

Linked PRs

• gh-122549: Allow to invalidate platform's cached results #122547

[kashav]

STR in case they help:

import platform, socket
print(platform.node(), socket.gethostname())
# update the machine's hostname (for macOS it's Settings -> General -> Sharing)
print(platform.node(), socket.gethostname()) # notice that this is reporting the old value

[ZeroIntensity]

I'm guessing this is somewhat intentional. platform.node() is equivalent platform.uname().node, and uname() has a cached result.

[kashav]

Oh I hadn’t noticed that there’s a platform.uname() method as well. I guess this is somewhat intentional then. It would help to document that uname and its dependents rely on a cached result that might be knowingly stale.

[picnixz]

Most of the functions in platform are using cached values. However, I somewhat think that we should have a mean to invalidate this cache. I'll prepare a PR for that.