[Python-Dev] PEP 394 request for pronouncement (python2 symlink in *nix systems)

[Nick Coghlan]

On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 12:44 AM, Barry Warsaw <barry at python.org> wrote:
> On Feb 14, 2012, at 12:38 PM, Nick Coghlan wrote:
>>I have no idea, and I'm not going to open that can of worms for this
>>PEP. We need to say something about the executable aliases so that
>>people can eventually write cross-platform python2 shebang lines, but
>>how particular distros actually manage the transition is going to
>>depend more on their infrastructure and community than it is anything
>>to do with us.
>
> Then I think all the PEP needs to say is that it is explicitly up to the
> distros to determine if, when, where, and how they transition.  I.e. take it
> off of python-dev's plate.

It turns out I'd forgotten what was in the PEP - the Notes section
already contained a lot of suggestions along those lines. I changed
the title of the section to "Migration Notes", but tried to make it
clear that those *aren't* consensus recommendations, just ideas
distros may want to think about when considering making the switch.

The updated version is live on python.org:
http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0394/

I didn't end up giving an explicit rationale for the choice to use a
symlink chain, since it really isn't that important to the main
purpose of the PEP (i.e. encouraging distros to make sure "python2" is
on the system path somewhere).

Once MvL or Guido give the nod to the latest version, I'll bump it up
to approved.

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia