[Python-Dev] Drop support for old unsupported FreeBSD and Linux kernels?

[Antoine Pitrou]

On Thu, 18 Jan 2018 22:04:34 -0800
Nathaniel Smith <njs at pobox.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 18, 2018 at 12:27 PM, Victor Stinner
> <victor.stinner at gmail.com> wrote:
> > CPython still has compatibility code for Linux 2.6, whereas the
> > support of Linux 2.6.x ended in August 2011, longer than 6 years ago.
> > Should we also drop support for old Linux kernels? If yes, which ones?
> > The Linux kernel has LTS version, the oldest is Linux 3.2 (support
> > will end in May, 2018).
> >
> > Linux kernel support:
> >
> >   https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html  
> 
> RHEL 5 uses 2.6.28, and still has "extended life cycle support" until
> 2020, but I guess no-one should be running Python 3.7 on that. CentOS
> 6 and RHEL 6 use 2.6.32, and their EOL is also 2020 (or 2024 for RHEL
> 6 with extended life cycle support).

What is the problem with supporting Linux 2.6?  Do we need to rely on
newer features? (which ones?)

I'm sure some people will want to be running Python 3.7 on RHEL 6 or
CentOS 6.  After all, there's a reason RedHat provides 3.6 builds
for it.  Of course, you may say it's RedHat's (or other vendors')
responsibility to apply compatibility patches.  But if the
compatibility code is already there, maybe it doesn't cost us much to
keep it?

Regards

Antoine.