[Python-Dev] GetFinalPathNameByHandleW - what is the minimum windows version python-3.5 will support ?

[Tim Golden]

On 19/07/2015 13:10, Vitaly Murashev wrote:
> I've just found out that that on Windows internal implementation of
> python35.dll in posixmodule.c
> uses winapi function GetFinalPathNameByHandleW
>
> By the way from MSDN:
> https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa364962%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
>
> Minimum supported client
>    Windows Vista [desktop apps only]
>
> Minimum supported server
>    Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]
>
> Does it mean, that Python-3.5 doesn't support any windows versions prior
> "Windows Vista" and "Windows Server 2008" ?

In essence: yes.

Python's support for Windows is outlined in PEP 11:

   https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0011/#microsoft-windows

which establishes that Python drops support for a Windows platform when 
Microsoft does. WinXP (somewhat noisily) finished support last year:

   http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/end-support-help

while Server 2003 -- more quietly; I had to go and look -- came out of 
extended support this month:

   https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle?p1=3198

Since Python 3.5 will come out after both of those platforms have 
finished support, there's no guarantee that it will run without error on 
those systems.

Obviously, all earlier releases of Python -- including the 
long-term-supported 2.7 should continue to work. Any otherwise 
undocumented failure to work on older platforms should be raised as a bug.

TJG