[Python-Dev] Python 3 as a Default in Linux Distros

[Bohuslav Kabrda]

----- Original Message -----
> Am 24.07.13 11:12, schrieb Bohuslav Kabrda:
> > - Should we point /usr/bin/python to Python 3 when we make the move?
> 
> This should depend on the answer to this question:
> - for how long have you been providing /usr/bin/python2 binaries?
> 

Huh, I don't know exactly, but quick git blame of our python.spec shows that /usr/bin/python2 has been there since July 2009, but probably even longer.

> Users "should" have been explicit in declaring scripts as
> /usr/bin/python2 for quite some time now, except that this would break
> on distros which don't provide a python2 symlink.
> 
> Ideally, you "should" have warned users to be explicit with python2 if
> the script wouldn't work on python3. But I'd wave this requirement, as
> there is already the upstream PEP.
> 
> So (IMO) if it the last three Fedora releases had been providing python2
> binaries, it should be allowed to switch python to be python3. The exact
> number can be debated; it should depend on what releases are still in
> active use so that a script would run on multiple releases.
> 

Yep, it seems like 6+ fedora releases and certainly the currently active ones have that. We will however need to make it clear that everyone, especially package maintainers, points to /usr/bin/python{2,3}.

> Then you can tell users that possible breakage is easy to fix: just
> install python2, and change the shebang line.
> 
> Regards,
> Martin
> 
> 

-- 
Regards,
Bohuslav "Slavek" Kabrda.