[Python-Dev] OS X Installer for 3.0.1 and supported versions

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Ned Deily writes:

 > I see three plausible options:
 > 
 > 1. Release an installer built for 10.5 and higher.
 >    pros: delivers 32-support and 64-support;
 >    cons: prematurely disenfranchises 10.4 users

+0 This would bother me; I have a couple of older Macs that run 10.4.
But it's acceptable (I can always use MacPorts or build from source).
I would suppose most folks who are running 10.4 even today are "cranks
like me, baby, we were born to fuss!"<wink>  Ahem, anyway, I suspect
people who care that much about stability are generally old-school
types who are willing to roll their own to some extent.

 > 2. Release an installer built for 10.4 and higher.
 >    pros: one size fits all
 >    cons: no 64-bit support, known bugs in 10.4 wrt locale support, etc

-1 I think if you're going to have a break, make it a big one.  By the
time people who use installers are using Python 3.0 a lot, most of
them will be on 10.6.

 > 3. Release two installers, one each for 10.4+ and 10.5+.
 >     pros: supports current and future systems;
 >            delivers 64-support to 10.5+ users;
 >            could choose to drop 10.4 installers anytime after 10.6 
 >            releases;
 >     cons: some extra work to build/release
 >              (but not much and not often);

+1

 > work on futures.  And this same discussion and decision needs to be made 
 > going forward for 2.7 and 2.6.x (I think the change should be made for 
 > 2.6.2).

Generally my inclination is the same here, but the distinction between
options 2 and 3 is a little less extreme.