Update Sphinx to version 2 and drop Python 2 support from Sphinx
Summary
The version 2.0.x of Sphinx, popular Python documentation generator and framework, is expected to be released in early 2019. It drops support for Python 2. As part of Finalizing Fedora's Switch to Python 3, we update 
python-sphinx
Package maintainers using Sphinx on Python 2 have three options:
- they stop using Python 2 entirely (preferred), dropping their python2 subpackages if not dependent upon by other packages,
- they switch to Sphinx on Python 3 for building their documentation,
- they stop building documentation.
Packages that use Sphinx on Python 2 at runtime are Sphinx extensions, themes etc. and will be removed together with
Owner
- Name: Miro Hrončok as the lead Python 2 deletionist
- Name: Charalampos Stratakis as the
python-sphinx - Email: python-maint@redhat.com
- Release notes owner:
Current status
- Targeted release: Fedora 31
- Last updated: 2019-03-06
- Tracker bug: #1685211
- Release notes tracker: #306
Detailed Description
See live (or several days old) information of Python dependents of
We will remove the following (sub)packages:
- python2-numpydoc
- python2-snowballstemmer
- python2-sphinx-intl
- python2-sphinx-theme-alabaster
- python2-sphinx_rtd_theme
- python2-sphinxcontrib-httpdomain
- python2-sphinxcontrib-websupport
The following (source) packages currently (2019-02-06) BuildRequire any of the above and will need to be modified to stop BuildRequiring them:
- alot
- autotest-framework
- beaker
- BEDTools
- bpython
- bro
- bugzilla
- bzr
- catkin
- datagrepper
- extra-cmake-modules
- fedmsg
- gdeploy
- gnuradio
- h5py
- idris
- libmypaint
- mirrorbrain
- mod_wsgi
- moksha
- mp
- nextcloud-client
- nordugrid-arc-nagios-plugins
- notmuch
- offlineimap
- owncloud-client
- paraview
- percona-xtrabackup
- petsc
- python-arc
- python-bashate
- python-bloom
- python-Bottleneck
- python-breathe
- python-case
- python-catkin_pkg
- python-cliapp
- python-cloudservers
- python-debtcollector
- python-dulwich
- python-eventlet
- python-factory-boy
- python-fedora
- python-feedparser
- python-flask
- python-flask-httpauth
- python-funcsigs
- python-futurist
- python-gabbi
- python-genmsg
- python-genpy
- python-gunicorn
- python-hacking
- python-hardware
- python-hl7
- python-htmlmin
- python-jenkins-job-builder
- python-jsonpath-rw-ext
- python-kafka
- python-kazoo
- python-kitchen
- python-larch
- python-mpd2
- python-mpmath
- python-netaddr
- python-ngram
- python-nose_fixes
- python-novaclient
- python-nss
- python-numpydoc
- python-olefile
- python-openstackdocstheme
- python-openstack-doc-tools
- python-oslo-config
- python-oslo-serialization
- python-oslo-utils
- python-osrf-pycommon
- python-os-service-types
- python-parsley
- python-pathlib
- python-pbr
- python-pika
- python-pillow
- python-pint
- python-plaster
- python-pwntools
- python-pycares
- python-pygments
- python-pyperclip
- python-pypump
- python-pyramid
- python-reno
- python-restauth-common
- python-rosdep
- python-rosdistro
- python-rosinstall
- python-rospkg
- python-sane
- python-scripttest
- python-slixmpp
- python-sphinx
- python-sphinxcontrib-websupport
- python-sphinx-intl
- python-statsd
- python-statsmodels
- python-testtools
- python-tracing
- python-txaio
- python-txsocksx
- python-vcstools
- python-webcolors
- python-werkzeug
- python-whoosh
- python-wrapt
- python-wsgi_intercept
- python-wstool
- python-yaql
- python-zope-component
- python-zope-schema
- python2-django1.11
- python2-docs
- python2-matplotlib
- scipy
- seqan2
- shiboken
- sphinx-webtools
- swift-lang
- the-new-hotness
- tortoisehg
- tryton
- tsung
- umit
- virtio-forwarder
- ViTables
- xapian-bindings
As said in the summary, packages will either switch to Python 3 Sphinx or stop building the docs. Change owners can provide guidance and help, yet they cannot be expected to fix all the packages.
The following tools will be switched to Python 3:
/usr/bin/sphinx-apidoc/usr/bin/sphinx-autogen/usr/bin/sphinx-build/usr/bin/sphinx-quickstart
Their -3 and -3.X suffixed counterparts will be kept as symbolic links for backwards compatibility.
Explicit conflicts with old
Benefit to Fedora
Fedora is the leading environment for Python development and will include the newest and greatest Sphinx for users and packagers. The removal of Python 2 Sphinx will help in getting rid of a significant amount of Python 2 usage, as Fedora's long term plan is to get rid of this legacy interpreter. Python 2 is deprecated in Fedora and its upstream support ends on 2020-01-01, very early in the Fedora 31 life time.
Scope
- Proposal owners: remove above-mentioned packages as soon as possible, update
- Other developers: stop using
- Release engineering: #8100 (no Release Engineering impact is anticipated)
- List of deliverables: empty
- Policies and guidelines: none
- Trademark approval: not needed for this Change
Upgrade/compatibility impact
The new
Fedora users using RPM-packaged Sphinx will use Sphinx on Python 3 by default, as many would expect. Fedora users still needing to use Sphinx running on Python 2 will use Python virtual environment and pip.
How To Test
TBD
User Experience
Already covered by sections above.
Dependencies
Described by the sections above.
Contingency Plan
- Contingency mechanism: If absolutely needed, the change owners will add compatibility
- Contingency deadline: any time before release
- Blocks release? No
- Blocks product? No
Documentation
This page is the documentation.
Release Notes
TBD.