Revision as of 18:55, 10 December 2024

Retire python3.8

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 python3.8 package will be retired without replacement from Fedora Linux 42. Python 3.8 reached upstream End of Life 2024-10-07. RHEL 8 Python 3.8 Stream has been retired since May 2023. Debian Buster had Python 3.7, Bullseye has 3.9. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) has Python 3.8, but standard support ends in April 2025. Fedora 42 release date is in April 2025 as well.

Owner

Name: Miro Hrončok
Email: mhroncok@redhat.com

Current status

Targeted release: Fedora Linux 42
Last updated: 2024-12-10
[Announced]
[<will be assigned by the Wrangler> Discussion thread]
FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

The python3.8 package with the Python interpreter in version 3.8 was kept in Fedora only to make it possible for Fedora users to test their software against it. Python 3.8 is upstream EOL and is not shipped in RHEL anymore. Ubuntu LTS which has it also goes end of standard support by the time Fedora Linux 42 is expected to be released.

Hence, it will be retired. Users who still want to test against Python 3.8 can stay on Fedora Linux 41 or use any other older distribution.

Note that python3.6 will remain available for the foreseeable future to support developers who target RHEL 8.

Feedback

This was discussed on the Python list prior to submitting the change proposal. There was almost no feedback, but the one reply I got was positive: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/python-devel@lists.fedoraproject.org/thread/GKAL624Y4XDV37PPIKIRJREBNL3ISJCZ/

Benefit to Fedora

No energy will be spent on making an older Python buildable and safe. We will not ship unsupported and insecure software.

Scope

Proposal owners: Retire python3.8 from rawhide just before Fedora 42 is branched. Obsolete it from fedora-obsolete-packages if it causes troubles on upgrades. Make sure no Fedora package depends on it in any way (incl. weak dependencies).

Other developers: N/A (not needed for this Change)

Release engineering: N/A (not needed for this Change)

Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

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

Alignment with the Fedora Strategy: N/A (not needed for this Change)

Upgrade/compatibility impact

The package will no longer be available from the repositories, but it may remain on existing installations. If it causes troubles on upgrade, it needs to be obsoleted.

Early Testing (Optional)

Do you require 'QA Blueprint' support? N

How To Test

Install Fedora 42. Try to install Python 3.8 via dnf or similar means. It should not be found.

User Experience

No more Python 3.8 to test user software on.

Dependencies

None.

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

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Release Notes

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 <!-- The actual name of your proposed change page should look something like: Changes/Your_Change_Proposal_Name.  This keeps all change proposals in the same namespace -->
-= Change Proposal Name <!-- The name of your change proposal --> =
+= Retire python3.8 =
 {{Change_Proposal_Banner}}
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 == Summary ==
 <!-- A sentence or two summarizing what this change is and what it will do. This information is used for the overall changeset summary page for each release. Note that motivation for the change should be in the Benefit to Fedora section below, and this part should answer the question "What?" rather than "Why?". -->
+The {{package|python3.8}} package will be retired without replacement from [[Releases/42|Fedora Linux 42]].
+Python 3.8 reached upstream End of Life 2024-10-07.
+RHEL 8 Python 3.8 Stream has been retired since May 2023.
+Debian Buster had Python 3.7, Bullseye has 3.9.
+Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) has Python 3.8, but standard support ends in April 2025. Fedora 42 release date is in April 2025 as well.
 == Owner ==
@@ Line 13: / Line 19: @@
 This should link to your home wiki page so we know who you are.
 -->
-* Name: [[User:FASAccountName| Your Name]]
+* Name: [[User:Churchyard|Miro Hrončok]]
 <!-- Include you email address that you can be reached should people want to contact you about helping with your change, status is requested, or technical issues need to be resolved. If the change proposal is owned by a SIG, please also add a primary contact person. -->
-* Email: <your email address so we can contact you, invite you to meetings, etc. Please provide your Bugzilla email address if it is different from your email in FAS>
+* Email: mhroncok@redhat.com
 <!--- UNCOMMENT only for Changes with assigned Shepherd (by FESCo)
 * FESCo shepherd: [[User:FASAccountName| Shehperd name]] <email address>
@@ Line 22: / Line 28: @@
 == Current status ==
-[[Category:ChangePageIncomplete]]
+[[Category:ChangeReadyForWrangler]]
 <!-- When your change proposal page is completed and ready for review and announcement -->
 <!-- remove Category:ChangePageIncomplete and change it to Category:ChangeReadyForWrangler -->
@@ Line 32: / Line 38: @@
 <!-- [[Category:SystemWideChange]] -->
-* Targeted release: [https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/releases/f<VERSION>/ Fedora Linux <VERSION>]
+* Targeted release: [https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/releases/f42/ Fedora Linux 42]
 * Last updated: <!-- this is an automatic macro — you don't need to change this line -->  {{REVISIONYEAR}}-{{REVISIONMONTH}}-{{REVISIONDAY2}}
 <!-- After the change proposal is accepted by FESCo, tracking bug is created in Bugzilla and linked to this page
@@ Line 48: / Line 54: @@
 == Detailed Description ==
 <!-- Expand on the summary, if appropriate.  A couple sentences suffices to explain the goal, but the more details you can provide the better. -->
+The {{package|python3.8}} package with the Python interpreter in version 3.8 was kept in Fedora only to make it possible for Fedora users to test their software against it. Python 3.8 is upstream EOL and is not shipped in RHEL anymore. Ubuntu LTS which has it also goes end of standard support by the time Fedora Linux 42 is expected to be released.
+Hence, it will be retired. Users who still want to test against Python 3.8 can stay on Fedora Linux 41 or use any other older distribution.
+Note that {{package|python3.6}} will remain available for the foreseeable future to support developers who target RHEL 8.
 == Feedback ==
 <!-- Summarize the feedback from the community and address why you chose not to accept proposed alternatives. This section is optional for all change proposals but is strongly suggested. Incorporating feedback here as it is raised gives FESCo a clearer view of your proposal and leaves a good record for the future. If you get no feedback, that is useful to note in this section as well. For innovative or possibly controversial ideas, consider collecting feedback before you file the change proposal. -->
+This was discussed on the Python list prior to submitting the change proposal. There was almost no feedback, but the one reply I got was positive: https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/python-devel@lists.fedoraproject.org/thread/GKAL624Y4XDV37PPIKIRJREBNL3ISJCZ/
 == Benefit to Fedora ==
@@ Line 80: / Line 94: @@
       https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/perl5.26 (major upgrade to a popular software stack, visible to users of that stack)
 -->
+No energy will be spent on making an older Python buildable and safe. We will not ship unsupported and insecure software.
 == Scope ==
-* Proposal owners:
+* Proposal owners: Retire {{package|python3.8}} from rawhide just before Fedora 42 is branched. Obsolete it from  {{package|fedora-obsolete-packages}} if it causes troubles on upgrades. Make sure no Fedora package depends on it in any way (incl. weak dependencies).
 <!-- What work do the feature owners have to accomplish to complete the feature in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
-* Other developers: <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Other developers: N/A (not needed for this Change) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
 <!-- What work do other developers have to accomplish to complete the feature in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
-* Release engineering: [https://pagure.io/releng/issues #Releng issue number] <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Release engineering: N/A (not needed for this Change) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
 <!-- Does this feature require coordination with release engineering (e.g. changes to installer image generation or update package delivery)?  Is a mass rebuild required?  include a link to the releng issue.
 The issue is required to be filed prior to feature submission, to ensure that someone is on board to do any process development work and testing and that all changes make it into the pipeline; a bullet point in a change is not sufficient communication -->
@@ Line 98: / Line 113: @@
 <!-- If your Change may require trademark approval (for example, if it is a new Spin), file a ticket ( https://pagure.io/Fedora-Council/tickets/issues ) requesting trademark approval from the Fedora Council. This approval will be done via the Council's consensus-based process. -->
-* Alignment with the Fedora Strategy:
+* Alignment with the Fedora Strategy: N/A (not needed for this Change)
 <!-- Does your proposal align with the current Fedora Strategy: https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-strategy-2028-february-march-planning-work-and-roadmap-til-flock/43618 ? It's okay if it doesn't, but it's something to consider -->
@@ Line 105: / Line 120: @@
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+The package will no longer be available from the repositories, but it may remain on existing installations. If it causes troubles on upgrade, it needs to be obsoleted.
 == Early Testing (Optional) ==
 <!-- This is an optional step for system-wide changes to avail of. If you would like to build an initial proof of concept of your change and have a member of Fedora QA help you write and/or run some initial basic tests on your code, please email tests@fedoraproject.org and include the link to your change proposal. This step is *optional*. -->
-Do you require 'QA Blueprint' support? Y/N <!-- Optional Step for System-Wide Changes only -->
+Do you require 'QA Blueprint' support? N <!-- Optional Step for System-Wide Changes only -->
 == How To Test ==
@@ Line 127: / Line 143: @@
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+Install Fedora 42. Try to install Python 3.8 via dnf or similar means. It should not be found.
 == User Experience ==
@@ Line 139: / Line 156: @@
   - Green has been scientifically proven to be the most relaxing color. The move to a default background color of green with green text will result in Fedora users being the most relaxed users of any operating system.
 -->
+No more Python 3.8 to test user software on.
 == Dependencies ==
@@ Line 144: / Line 162: @@
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+None.
 == Contingency Plan ==

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