request: pytest-timeout from the side of xdist

In some cases with c extensions, pytest-timeout cannot halt tests from the slaves. pytest-xdist should add a hook so that pytest can timeout nodes from the master if the slave is unable to kill itself.

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

the main reason pytest-timeout breaks with xdist is that execnet had the fateful introduction of execmodels which take execution away from the main thread

In my experience pytest-xdist doesn't break pytest-timeout. These problems occur only when you're testing a c extension, and then Python can experience internal faults that prevent pytest-timeout from working correctly if the c extension is not safe (which is often the case in development). This would therefore be an enhancement because it would allow test timeouts that are currently not allowed without xdist.

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

@xoviat i see - that could be done, but currently needs a complete reengineering of sheduling and node interaction - so its an item for maybe sometime later

Possibly the simpler way to implement this is to simply check whether a node is responsive every minute or so. Just every minute say "Hey are you there [UNIQUE KEY]" and if the slave doesn't reply with "i'M HERE [UNIQUE KEY]," then kill it.

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

That is unusable for many scenarios

[Peque]

Maybe related: #117.