[Python-Dev] Official version support statement (original) (raw)

"Martin v. Löwis" martin at v.loewis.de
Sat May 12 09🔞42 CEST 2007


Python can dispose of a raft of bugs present only in the older versions with WONTFIX at release of a new stable version (after double-checking that they don't exist in the stable version).

I'm all in favor of formalizing a policy of when Python releases are produced, and what Python releases, and what kinds of changes they may contain. However, such a policy should be addressed primarily to contributors, as a guidance, not to users, as a promise. So I have problems with both "official" and "support" still.

Developers can respond to reports of bugs in the immediate past version with "I'm sorry, but we try to concentrate our limited resources on supporting the current version, and it is unlikely that it will be fixed. Please post to c.l.p for help." Users are disappointed, but it builds trust, and more so if supported by an official statement.

The way we make policy statements is through the PEP process. This is important, because it involves the community in setting the policy. The PSF board has often explicitly tried to stay out of managing the Python development itself, and has deferred that to python-dev and its readership.

I had meant to propose a PEP on maintenance of Python releases for quite some time now; perhaps this is the time to actually write this PEP.

Regards, Martin



More information about the Python-Dev mailing list