Analysis of Python 2.7 support in Natty

[Robert Collins]

On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 12:10 PM, Elliot Murphy <elliot at ubuntu.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 8:56 PM, Barry Warsaw <barry at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>> So now that Natty main support for Python 2.7 looks pretty good, the question
>> is: do we drop Python 2.6 from Natty?
>>
>> Pro-removal:
>>
>>  * It reduces the CD space requirements by including only one shared library
>>   per extension module.  I forget exactly how much can be reclaimed, though
>>   IIRC doko posted some numbers on that (10MB or thereabouts?).
>>  * Makes our life simpler by only having to support one Python 2 version from
>>   here on out, and that being the one supported by upstream Python long term.
>>
>> Con-removal:
>>
>>  * No overlap in Python 2 versions between LTS, which complicates upgrade
>>   plans for server applications such as Launchpad.
>>
>> If necessary, we can solve the LTS upgrade problem similar to the way we
>> solved it for Lucid; we create an official PPA with Python 2.6 and port over
>> the stack required by services such as Launchpad.  3rd parties still requiring
>> Python 2.6, could create their own PPA, dependent on ours, and add whatever
>> packages they need to the former.
>
> This seems like a perfectly reasonable solution for launchpad and
> other server apps. We wouldn't normally upgrade the data center
> servers to a non-LTS release like Natty anyway, and I believe this is
> the approach used in many data centers.
>
> Given the depths of the cuts already made to reclaim CD space, and the
> fact that we should be taking a leadership position in encouraging
> migration to Python3, I don't think it makes any sense to keep
> python2.6 around in Ubuntu for Natty.

Indeed, we'd discussed at the rally; and from a LP perspective, a PPA
with 2.7 in it for Lucid is actually the thing we want most. That will
let us prepare for the next LTS now.

-Rob