Changes/DeprecateNose

Deprecate python-nose

Summary

The python-nose (python3-nose) package will be deprecated without replacement in Fedora 32. Nose is dead upstream, but far to many packages still BuildRequire it, so we cannot remove it yet.

Owner

• Name: Miro Hrončok
• Email: mhroncok@redhat.com

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 32
• Last updated: 2020-01-14
• Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
• Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

The python-nose package regularly requires downstream only patches to support new Python versions.

Upstream is long dead and has a notice on the website that says:

> Nose has been in maintenance mode for the past several years and will likely cease without a new person/team to take over maintainership. New projects should consider using Nose2, py.test, or just plain unittest/unittest2.

We'd like to drop it from Fedora, but 27 packages require it on runtime and 323 on build time (only direct (Build)Requires were counted, on 2020-01-13). Before we attempt to make the number smaller, we need to stop new packages to (Build)Require python3-nose, hence we want to have it deprecated.

Benefit to Fedora

No new packages will depend on a dead test runner. Eventually, bootstrapping new Python versions in Fedora won't be blocked on another downstream only patch for nose.

Scope

• Proposal owners: Deprecate python3-nose. Help package maintainers convert to other test runners when asked.

• Other developers: Nothing required (not a System Wide Change). Optionally, drop the dependency on nose from existing packages.

• Release engineering: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

Upgrade/compatibility impact

The package will remain available. Only new packages cannot depend on it.

How To Test

$ repoquery --repo=rawhide --provides python3-nose
...
deprecated()
...

User Experience

No changes.

Dependencies

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No
• Blocks product? N/A

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)