[Python-Dev] Python 3.4 and Windows XP: just 45 days until EOL

[R. David Murray]

On Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:49:54 +1200, Ben Hoyt <benhoyt at gmail.com> wrote:
> I guess it has to be dropped at some stage, but with Windows XP it's a case
> of "XP is dead. Long live XP!" There are still an awful lot of XP boxes out
> there, and I'd kind hate to see support dropped completely. We still use it
> here at home.
> 
> Wikipedia/Net Applications says that Windows XP has still has a full 37% of
> market share! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems
> )
> 
> What about just have these attributes/functions on OSes that support it,
> for example os.kill on Python 2.6 vs 2.7?

I'm afraid it's not that simple.  The issue (as I understand it from Crys)
is that we compile using setting that prevent the advanced features being
used, and that's really the only way to do it.  That is, you can only get
the advanced features by using certain settings, and if you use those,
the compiled code won't run on XP.  So it is not practical to decide only
at runtime to support the advanced feature, meaning there would have to
be a differently compiled version of Python specifically for Windows XP
(and doubtless new XP-specific ifdefs *as well*), and I doubt the core
team is going to go there.

The older versions of Python won't be going away.  Those can still be
used on XP.  Of course, they won't get bug fixes...just like XP itself.

--David