8192K free memory is needed

The following works in a TaskWindow and creates documentation for the abc/py module in html format.

*pydoc38 -w "abc"
wrote abc.html
*

I want to issue the command from a python program.
The following code should do it but I get an insuficioent memory message.

import os
os.system('pydoc38 -w "abc"')

8192K free memory is needed before the application will start.

The !Run file for python38 already has a wimp slot of 8M

It’s going to be run in the current application’s address space, so if that had 8M, after the C runtime has temporarily shunted everything out of the way to run the sub-program, there will be somewhat less than 8M available in this slot for the sub-program to run.

It seems there is a catch-22.
Double-click on a file with type python invokes the Python application which specifies 8M wimp.
The program runs and tries to invoke Python app again which of course wants 8M.
If I increase the wimp slot it makes no difference, it will still want more than is available.

Double-click on a file with type python invokes the Python application which specifies 8M wimp.

Where?
I just took a quick look at the !Run file and !boot file for Python3, and they have 16M defined:

set Alias$@RunType_ae5 TaskWindow |"python3 %%*0|" -name |"Python|" -quit -wimpslot 16M

Is there a quick Python-y way to do https://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/show/Wimp_StartTask instead? That should run the new task to completion in its own freely-sizable slot before returning.

yes, import swi and then call Wimp_StartTask as we used to do in BBC BASIC (except Python syntax to call SWI is sligthely different)

Where?
I just took a quick look at the !Run file and !boot file for Python3, and they have 16M defined:
…
set Alias$@RunType_ae5 TaskWindow |“python3 %%*0|” -name |“Python|” -quit -wimpslot 16M

@Steve It looks as if your Python is older than mine.

Python38-12-1/zip
TaskWindow "python3 %*0" -name "Python3" -ctrl -quit -wimpslot 8M
Python 3.8.12+ (riscos-1, Sep  8 2021, 10:35:02)
...
Python38a6/zip
TaskWindow "python3 %*0" -name "Python 3" -ctrl -quit -wimpslot 8M
Python 3.8.0a6 (default, May 27 2020, 08:35:28)
...
Python38a2/zip
TaskWindow python3 -name "Python" -quit -display -wimpslot 16M
Python 3.8.0a2 (default, Jan 10 2020, 19:30:57)

Thanks Stuart and Paulo for putting me on track.

""" Start a task using Wimp_StartTask """ 
from swi import swi
Wimp_StartTask = 0x400DE
print(f"test use of Wimp_StartTask: {hex(Wimp_StartTask)}")
path = "Python3 SCSI::SSD.$.PYTHON.jr_projects.pr14_swi.os_sysinfo/py"
swi(Wimp_StartTask,'s',path)
print(f'Voy. Vuelvo.')

Here is the combined output from the two taskwindows.

test use of Wimp_StartTask: 0x400de
...
Machine id  -256 0 16776960 2075404608 31
Ethernet address  31 2075404608
...
Voy Vuelvo