[Python-Dev] PEP 11 change: Windows Support Lifecycle

[Brian Curtin]

On Fri, Jun 1, 2012 at 8:22 AM,  <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote:
> I have just codified our current policy on supporting
> Windows releases, namely that we only support some Windows
> version until Microsoft ends its extended support period.
> As a consequence, Windows XP will be supported until
> 08/04/2014, and Windows 7 until 14/01/2020 (unless Microsoft
> extends that date further).
>
> I have also added wording on Visual Studio support which may
> still require consensus. My proposed policy is this:
>
> 1. There is only one VS version supported for any feature release.
>   Because of the different branches, multiple versions may be
>   in use.
> 2. The version that we use for a new feature release must still
>   have mainstream support (meaning it can still be purchased
>   regularly).
> 3. We should strive to keep the number of VS versions used
>   simultaneously small.
>
> VS 2008 has mainstream support until 09/04/2013, so we could have
> used it for 3.3 still, however, mainstream support ends within the
> likely lifetime of 3.3, so switching to VS 2010 was better. VS 2010
> will have mainstream support until 14/07/2015, so we can likely
> use it for 3.4 as well, and only reconsider for 3.5 (at which point XP
> support will not be an issue anymore). VS 2012 is out for 3.4 as it
> doesn't support XP.

This all sounds good to me. I think the rough timeline of our future
releases lines up nicely, e.g., the VS version available around Python
3.5 won't support XP and neither would we.