Changes/RetirePython26

Retire python26

Summary

The python26 package will be retired without replacement from Fedora 33. Python 2.6 has been End of Life since October 2013 and was kept around only to test software targeting RHEL/EPEL 6. The removal is aligned with EPEL 6 EOL.

Owner

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

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 33
• Last updated: 2020-01-27
• Tracker bug: #1795315
• Release notes tracker: #440

Detailed Description

The python26 package with the Python interpreter in version 2.6 is kept in Fedora only to make it possible for Fedora users to test their software against the Python version shipped in RHEL 6.

The EPEL 6 End of Life is planned for 2020-11. This roughly corresponds with the Fedora 33 release date. Hence, we decided to retire (completely remove) python26 from Fedora 33, before it gets released.

Benefit to Fedora

The maintenance of Python 2.6 was getting harder and harder every year. The support for Python 2.6 has disappeared from virtualenv, tox. python26 cannot be built against the new OpenSSL versions, etc.

There is no direct benefit here, except that we don't want to maintain it anymore and we don't think it's a good idea either.

Consider this change proposal a louder orphaning, except that we will continue to maintain the package in older released and supported Fedoras (31 and 32). If you wish to continue maintaining Python 2.6 in Fedora, please speak to us first.

Scope

• Proposal owners: Retire python26. 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 a System Wide Change)

• 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 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.

How To Test

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

User Experience

No more Python 2.6 to test user software on.

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? product

Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)