Retire Python 2.7
This is a proposed Change for Fedora Linux.
This document represents a proposed Change. As part of the Changes process, proposals are publicly announced in order to receive community feedback. This proposal will only be implemented if approved by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee.
Summary
The python2.7
package will be retired without replacement from Fedora Linux 41. There will be no Python 2 in Fedora 41+ other than PyPy. Packages requiring python2.7
on runtime or buildtime will have to deal with the retirement or be retired as well.
Owner
- Name: Miro HronÄok
- Email: mhroncok@redhat.com
Detailed Description
The python2.7
package with the Python interpreter in version 2.7 was kept in Fedora after upstream EOL (2020-01-01) only to make it possible for Fedora users to test their software against the Python version shipped in RHEL 7, CentOS 7 and RHEL 8 and to support remaining packages that could not be ported.
- Fedora 41 is to be released in October 2024, nearly 5 years after the upstream EOL of Python 2.
- RHEL 7 will reach the end of its maintenance support 2 phase on 2024-06-30.
- CentOS Linux 7 will reach end of life (EOL) on 2024-06-30.
- RHEL 8 Python 2.7 application stream retirement date is June 2024.
Dependent packages
Based on repoquery --repo=rawhide{,-source} --whatrequires python2.7
, the following packages still depend on python2.7
:
-
email2trac
runtime and buidltime. rhbz#1738907 â no response from package maintainers since 2019. This package will be retired if not fixed. -
flatpak-builder
runtime only (shebang) in the tests subpackage. rhbz#2249819 â no response from package maintainers since late 2023, but we belive this is a buggy dependency. -
flowcanvas
buidltime only. rhbz#1805233 â no response from package maintainers since 2021. This package will fail to build and will be eventually retired when Fedora 41 goes EOL if not fixed. -
kdissert
buidltime only. rhbz#1807513 â no response from package maintainers since 2020. This package will fail to build and will be eventually retired when Fedora 41 goes EOL if not fixed. -
qt5-qtwebengine
buidltime only. No bugzilla. Package bundles Python 2 for build in EPEL 9 and can probably do the same on Fedora. Alternativelly, can use PyPy (untested assumption). This package will fail to build and will be eventually retired when Fedora 41 goes EOL if not fixed. -
qtwebkit
buidltime only. rhbz#1807543 â no response from package maintainers since 2021. The latest meaningful response: âThe plan is still to try to sunset Qt4WebKit entirelyâ. This package will fail to build and will be eventually retired when Fedora 41 goes EOL if not fixed.
GIMP
The rest of the dependents exist merely for GIMP.
gimp
gimp-layer-via-copy-cut
gimp-resynthesizer
pygobject2
pygtk2
python2-cairo
GIMP will be updated to GIMP 3 with Python 3 support. Python 2 dependencies of GIMP will be retired.
If by the time of the Fedora 41 Beta Freeze (2024-08-20) no Release Candidate of GIMP 3 has come around, we will postpone the retirement of Python 2 to Fedora 42.
Feedback
See the GIMP 3 discussion for feedback from the GIMP maintainer.
Benefit to Fedora
The Python maintainers will no longer regularly backport security fixes to Python 2.7 in RHEL, due to the the end of maintenance of RHEL 7 and the retirement of the Python 2.7 application stream in RHEL 8. We provided this obsolete package for 5 years beyond its retirement date and will continue to provide it until Fedora 40 goes end of life. Enough has been enough.
We do not wish to simply orphan the package, as we are afraid it would not receive proper care if taken by somebody else. If there are potential maintainers interested in maintaining Python 2 in Fedora beyond Fedora 41, they can talk to us and demonstrate their ability and will to take care of Python 2 by joining the maintenance early.
Users who need to run their application in Python 2 should do so on a platform that offers support for it. Running applications on unsupported Python is dangerous.
Developers who still need to test their software on Python 2 can use containers with older Fedora releases or unsupported CentOS/RHEL versions.
Scope
-
Proposal owners:
- Coordinate closely with the GIMP maintainers.
-
fedpkg retire python2.7
before the beta freeze if GIMP is ready. - Remove
Recommends: python2.7
fromasv
andtox
.
-
Other developers:
- Retire or fix the remaining dependent packages.
-
Release engineering: #12175
-
Policies and guidelines: Using Python 2 is already forbidden for Fedora packages.
-
Trademark approval: not needed for this Change
-
Alignment with the Fedora Strategy: nope?
Upgrade/compatibility impact
Unless Python 2 stops being installable, we do not plan to Obsolete it. Users who upgrade to Fedora Linux 41+ from earlier releases with Python 2 installed, will likely still get it, but they will receive no support.
Early Testing (Optional)
Do you require âQA Blueprintâ support? N
How To Test
Try installing python2.7
on Fedora Linux 41+. It should fail.
User Experience
Some users might be unhappy about this, but we decided to do it anyway. We cannot keep legacy software forever, Fedora Linux is not that kind of Linux.
Dependencies
Contingency Plan
- Contingency mechanism: postpone to Fedora 42
- Contingency deadline: A week after Beta Freeze
- Blocks release? No
Documentation
There is no more Python 2 in Fedora Linux 41+.
Release Notes
There is no more Python 2 in Fedora Linux 41+.
Last edited by @amoloney 2024-07-01T20:41:36Z