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 on 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: 2019-02-06
- Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
Detailed Description
See live (or several days old) information of Python dependents of Template:Python2-sphinx at the Python 2 Dropping Database.
We will remove the following (sub)packages:
- python2-sphinx
- python2-catkin-sphinx
- python2-numpydoc
- python2-openstack-doc-tools
- python2-openstackdocstheme
- python2-snowballstemmer
- python2-sphinx-intl
- python2-sphinx-theme-alabaster
- python2-sphinx_rtd_theme
- python2-sphinxcontrib-httpdomain
- python2-sphinxcontrib-websupport
- sphinx-webtools
- trac-sphinx-plugin
The following (source) packages currently (2019-02-06) BuildRequire any of the above and will need to be adapted to stop doing that:
- 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 are not expected to do all the work here.
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.
Benefit to Fedora
Fedora is the leading environment for Python development and will include the newest and nicest Sphinx for users and packagers. The removal of Python 2 Sphinx will help getting rid of significant Python 2 usage, as Fedora long term plan is to get rid of this legacy interpreter. Python 2 is deprecated in Fedora and its upstream support ends at 2020-01-01, very early in the Fedora 31 life time.
Scope
- Proposal owners: remove packages as described above as soon as possible, update
- Other developers: stop using
- Release engineering: #Releng issue number (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 Python 2 and Sphinx 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: (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? product
Documentation
N/A (not a System Wide Change)