add killthread function, make Task killable; Task daemonizes per default

modman/killthread.py

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import ctypes
+
+set_async_exc = ctypes.pythonapi.PyThreadState_SetAsyncExc
+
+
+def killthread(thread, exc=KeyboardInterrupt):
+    if not thread.is_alive():
+        return
+
+    ident = ctypes.c_long(thread.ident)
+    exc = ctypes.py_object(exc)
+
+    res = set_async_exc(ident, exc)
+    if res == 0:
+        raise ValueError("thread id does not exist")
+    elif res > 1:
+        # if return value is greater than one, you are in trouble.
+        # you should call it again with exc=NULL to revert the effect.
+        set_async_exc(ident, None)
+        raise SystemError("PyThreadState_SetAsyncExc failed")
+
+
+

modman/task.py

@@ -1,14 +1,19 @@
 from threading import Thread
 
+from killthread import killthread
+
 
 class Task(Thread):
 
-    def __init__(self, target, name, **kwargs):
-        super().__init__(group=None, target=target, name=name, **kwargs)
+    def __init__(self, target, name, daemon=True, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(group=None, target=target, name=name, daemon=daemon, **kwargs)
 
     @property
     def is_running(self):
         return self.is_alive()
 
+    def kill(self):
+        killthread(self)
+