[Python-Dev] What is the rationale behind source only releases?

[Alex Walters]

Thank you, that's exactly what I needed to read.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ned Deily <nad at python.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2018 7:07 AM
> To: Alex Walters <tritium-list at sdamon.com>
> Cc: Python-Dev <python-dev at python.org>
> Subject: Re: [Python-Dev] What is the rationale behind source only
releases?
> 
> On May 16, 2018, at 00:35, Alex Walters <tritium-list at sdamon.com> wrote:
> > In the spirit of learning why there is a fence across the road before I
tear
> > it down out of ignorance [1], I'd like to know the rationale behind
source
> > only releases of cpython.  I have an opinion on their utility and
perhaps an
> > idea about changing them, but I'd like to know why they are done (as
> opposed
> > to source+binary releases or no release at all) before I head over to
> > python-ideas.  Is this documented somewhere where my google-fu can't
> find
> > it?
> 
> The Python Developer's Guide has a discussion of the lifecycle of cPython
> releases here:
> 
> https://devguide.python.org/#status-of-python-branches
> 
> The ~short answer is that we produce source+binary (Windows and macOS
> binary installers) artifacts for release branches in "bugfix" (AKA
> "maintenance") mode (currently 3.6 and 2.7) as well as during the later
> stages of the in-development phase for future feature releases
> ("prerelease" mode) (currently 3.7); we produce only source releases for
> release branches in "security" mode.
> 
> After the initial release of a new feature branch (for example, the
upcoming
> 3.7.0 release), we will continue to support the previous release branch in
> bugfix mode for some overlapping period of time.  So, for example, the
> current plan is to support both 3.7.x and 3.6.x (along with 2.7.x) in
bugfix
> mode, releasing both source and binary artifacts for about six months
after
> the 3.7.0 release.  At that point, 3.6.x will transition to
security-fix-only mode,
> where we will only produce releases on an as-needed basis and only in
> source form.  Currently, 3.5 and 3.4 are also in security-fix-only mode.
> Eventually, usually five years after its initial release, a release branch
will
> reach end-of-life: the branch will be frozen and no further issues for
that
> release branch will be accepted nor will fixes be produced by Python Dev.
> 2.7 is a special case, with a greatly extended bugfix phase; it will
proceed
> directly to end-of-life status as of 2020-01-01.
> 
> There is more information later elsewhere in the devguide:
> 
> https://devguide.python.org/devcycle/
> 
> and in the release PEPs linked in the Status of Python Branches section.
> 
> Hope that helps!
> 
> --
>   Ned Deily
>   nad at python.org -- []