[Python-Dev] [Python-checkins] r86264 - python/branches/release27-maint/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py

[Terry Reedy]

On 11/6/2010 12:33 PM, "Martin v. Löwis" wrote:
>> This was a private function used on an unsupported platform, this should
>> do no harm.  We’ve been bitten by “should do no harm” before though, so
>> I am ready to revert this change (and learn from this :)
>
> Do as you like. I won't insist on it being reverted.
>
> It's rather a matter of agreeing when moving forward: IMO, mere style
> changes, code cleanup etc shouldn't be applied to the bug fix branches,
> as their only purpose is to provide bug fixes for existing users.

The omission of the deletion from the 5/5 revision was a bug in that 
revision. If the removal of OS9 support was documented (announced), 
which I presume it was, then one could consider any visible trace 
remaining to be a bug.

Perhaps the policy on code cleanup should be a bit more liberal for 2.7 
*because* it will be maintained for several years and *because* there is 
no newer 2.x branch to apply changes to. If I were going to maintain 2.7 
for several years, I would want to have the benefit of gradual 
improvements that make maintainance easier.

Applying such a cleanup to 3.1, say, is less necessary because a) the 
code will soon be end-of-lifed and not maintained much and b) it can be 
applied to the newer (3.2) branch and benefit that and all future 
releases thereafter.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy