[Python-Dev] 3.7.2rc1 and 3.6.8rc1 cutoffs ahead, last 3.6.x bugfix release!

[Terry Reedy]

On 12/19/2018 4:14 AM, Serhiy Storchaka wrote:
I propose to allow backporting bugfixes to 3.6 if
> they do not need excessive work, but stop to fix 3.6 only bugs.

I think this would need a PEP.

> After migrating to GitHab, backporting became less painful,

Before GitHub, we forward ported.  For me, for idlelib, that was faster, 
though the current automation makes it about equal effort.  The main 
pain point for non-IDLE patches was NEWS conflicts, which have been 
eliminated.

> most of backports to 3.6 can be done automatically from master or from 3.7.

That is true in part because all bugfixes are backported, so that most 
of the code in most modules is the same in 3.7 and 3.6.  As soon as some 
bugfixes are not backported, nearby bug fixes start getting conflicts 
they would not have gotten otherwise.

For idlelib, I know that if some PRs are not backported (which currently 
*is* trivial), then it will cease being trivial for every patch.  As it 
is, 2 PRs that touch the same module can conflict, so that one requires 
editing when the other is merged.  I often delay writing a followup PR 
until the first is merged.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy