Redhat 7.3 skipjack Beta2- why still python 1.5x ?

[Jeff Shannon]

In article <899f842.0204081714.25eab798 at posting.google.com>, 
anthony_barker at hotmail.com says...
> Python 2.2x is stable why does redhat still insist on releasing 1.5x?
> All other distributions are now on 2.x.
> 
> It seems from the Redhat's skipjack beta 2 that it will only ship the
> older version of python(1.5.2).

Because RedHat has a stated policy of shipping the same version 
of all major utilities with *all* minor releases within a 
specific major release of RedHat.  In other words, all of their 
major utilities will use the same version through each of RH 7.0, 
7.1, 7.2, 7.x ...

Python qualifies as a major utility in this sense because RH uses 
it in a significant number of its system configuration and 
administration tools.
 
> I find this annoying because it means I have to upgrade each redhat
> machine individually as it breaks a couple of my scripts.

Be aware that, since RH uses Python 1.5.2 for its tools, and in 
several cases uses deprecated modules that no longer function in 
Python 2.x, you'll need to be careful about upgrading -- you need 
to leave /usr/bin/python pointing to 1.5.2, and install 2.x as 
/usr/bin/python2 (RH does provide rpms that are configured to do 
this; those using RH should definitely get RH's rpms.)  It leaves 
you in an awkward position of having to watch that scripts get 
executed with the correct version of Python (since you can't 
presume that 'python myscript.py' will execute the latest 
version), but the only alternative is to change all of RH's 
scripts to explicitly point to /usr/bin/python1.5 (which could be 
quite a task).

[x-posts trimmed]

-- 

Jeff Shannon
Technician/Programmer
Credit International