[Python-Dev] Python 2.7 -- bugfix or security before EOL?

[Terry Reedy]

On 3/14/2018 9:16 AM, Michael Scott Cuthbert wrote:

> I’m guessing my first message was unclear or able to be misunderstood in 
> some part — I’m one of the frequent contributors to python3statement.org 
> <http://python3statement.org> and have moved my own Python projects to 
> Py3 only (the main one, music21, gets its 3.4+-only release this 
> Saturday).  I have NO desire to prolong the 2.7 pain.

Yes, sorry I mis-read you -- though like you I am happy about the 
resulting decision/clarification.

> What I am referring to is the number of “needs backport to 2.7” tags for 
> non-security-related bug-fixes in the issue tracker. 
> (https://github.com/python/cpython/pulls?q=is%3Apr+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22needs+backport+to+2.7%22 
> <https://github.com/python/cpython/pulls?q=is:pr+is:open+label:"needs+backport+to+2.7">) 

14 is a small fraction of open fixes, which is perhaps your point.

> My question was between now and 1 Jan 2020 should we still be fixing 
> things in 2.7 that we’re not fixing in 3.5, or leave 2.7 in a 
> security-only mode for the next 21 months?  Looking at what has been 
> closed recently, without getting a bpo for actually backporting, it 
> appears that we’re sort of doing this in practice anyhow.

The only people who can do substantive backports are those currently 
familiar with 2.7 and the old code and some of the subtle semantic 
differences.  It seems that a decreasing fraction of those still want to 
backport fixes.

> Thanks! and even if my message was read differently than I intended, 
> glad that it had a good effect.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy