[Python-Dev] Python-3 transition in Arch Linux

[Steven D'Aprano]

James Y Knight wrote:

> But the previous consensus (at least, as I, and presumably many other
> people understood it) was that python2 would remain the owner of the
> name "/usr/bin/python" for the indefinite future, and python3 would
> be invoked with /usr/bin/python3.
> 
> Given that, it's not at all clear that Arch's actions are the right
> thing to do.


The time will come when even Python 2.7 is long obsolete. I think it is
silly to insist that people invoke python3 to run their Python 3.7
scripts. Arch might be jumping the gun a little, or even a lot, but 
sooner or later it should be done.

Besides, this is another sign that the Python 3 haters are wrong. We now 
have a distro that has made Python 3 the standard system python. It 
might be a bleeding-edge distro not recommended for non-experts, but 
it's still pretty cool that *somebody* has done it.


> IMO, moving away from that consensus should've been brought up on 
> python-dev rather than just one distro just doing it all alone, 
> causing incompatibilities and annoyance. 

We're all adults here. If Arch wants to live on the bleeding edge, more 
power to them. That's why my server runs Centos :)



-- 
Steven