Considering dropping Python 2 support (was Re: Python.h quirk)

[Gary E. Miller]

Yo Mark!

On Sat, 21 Sep 2019 14:33:37 -0700
Mark Atwood via devel <devel at ntpsec.org> wrote:

> Given that the Python community is driving hard on deprecating
> Python2 on 2020-01-01, I'm inclined to drop Python2 support on that
> date.
> 
> https://pythonclock.org/

Python 2 has been deprecated since before 2015.  2020 is the current
end of End Of Life (EOL) date.  We should not get involved in any fight
between an upstream and its users.  At least until forced to.

A lot of foot dragging distros, like RHEL, just updated to Python 3 this
year.  RHEL users, being RHEL users, will likely take at least a few
years to update to RHEL 8.  We should not abandon them.

The cost to ntpsec to supporting Python 2 in addition to Python is very
minor.  Without a good reason to kill off Python 2 we should keep it.

NTPsec should support Python 2 for as long as more than a few distros are
still supporting Python 2.  That whole "backpatch" thing that RHEL, and
others, keep touting.

NTPsec should not be like systemd forcing hard choices on users.

> I've read random suppositions that there may be a "renegade" fork to
> "Python 2.8" or "Python 2.9" but even if that happens, the distros
> will still be forced to clarify which one is installed.

Python upstream makes it easy, it is the distros that keep breaking
the rules.  For example: PEP 394.

RGDS
GARY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary E. Miller Rellim 109 NW Wilmington Ave., Suite E, Bend, OR 97703
	gem at rellim.com  Tel:+1 541 382 8588

	    Veritas liberabit vos. -- Quid est veritas?
    "If you can't measure it, you can't improve it." - Lord Kelvin
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