[Python-Dev] Python and LSB: Meeting Report

["Martin v. Löwis"]

We just had (the first day of) an LSB face-to-face meeting
today [1], where Python was discussed. I started with presenting
my slides, and stated what I see as main goals:

- Allow Python scripts to run unmodified across Linux distributions
- Optional: Allow extension modules to be used in binary form across
  distributions
- Optional: Allow extension modules to be used in binary form across
  distributions

During the discussion, Robert Schweikert proposed another goal, from
the view of a proprietary software vendor:

- Allow .pyc files to run unmodified across Linux distributions

The discussion evolved around backwards compatibility. I'll start
separate threads for these; here is the summary:
- LSB attempts to guarantee backwards compatibility with previous
  versions (starting with 4.0; currently, 3.2 is targeted). Linux
  distributions implementing future LSB versions should be
  backwards-compatible with previous LSB versions.
- Removal of features can only occur after three major LSB releases;
  this means all features will stay for about 6 years
- If LSB integrated a specific version now, that version will have
  to be supported by vendors for those 6 years
- given that the Python ABI changes frequently over time, this
  makes standardization of the ABI difficult
- even for API (i.e. library interfaces), backwards-compatibility
  would be difficult: for those packages/classes/modules/functions
  that become part of the LSB API, stability would be desirable.

Regards,
Martin

[1] http://www.freestandards.org/en/LSB_face-to-face_(December_2006)
[2]http://www.freestandards.org/images/6/66/Lsb-f2f-200612-python.pdf