please test the new PyPI (now in beta)

[Sumana Harihareswara]

On Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 9:36:56 AM UTC-4, Ethan Furman wrote:
> On 03/26/2018 03:16 PM, Sumana Harihareswara wrote:
> 
> > The new Python Package Index at https://pypi.org is now in beta.
> 
> The banner says:
> 
> --> This is a beta deployment of Warehouse. Changes made here affect the production instance of PyPI (pypi.python.org).
> 
> Why is a beta instance affecting the production instance?
> 
> --
> ~Ethan~

The short answer is that pypi.org has to share data with pypi.python.org to provide people with a smooth migration path, and that test.pypi.org is available for users who want to try Warehouse without affecting production data.

And I recognize that the word "beta" implies different levels of reliability to different organizations; many people here remember GMail being "in beta" for five years at a pretty high service level, and some of us have used "beta" software that was about as robust as a wet tissue.

I've now done a few hours of research to nail down the history of this beta, and will put that in https://www.pypa.io/en/latest/history/ and other relevant documentation when I have it more sorted out. (I did some bug triage on Warehouse in 2016 but only started managing the project in December 2017.)

Warehouse has been up and available in some form as a preview since late 2013 (see the original migration plan at https://mail.python.org/pipermail/distutils-sig/2013-July/022096.html ), it's had read access to the canonical PyPI database for at least three years (I'm still working out the exact dates), and since June 2016 we've advised people that it was a better experience to upload packages to the canonical PyPI database using Warehouse than via pypi.python.org (per https://mail.python.org/pipermail/distutils-sig/2016-June/029083.html and this change to the default `twine` upload URL https://github.com/pypa/twine/pull/177 ). In June/July 2017 we disabled uploading via the old site ( https://mail.python.org/pipermail/distutils-sig/2017-June/030766.html ). I believe Warehouse has been called "pre-production" for that whole time up until now, and now we're calling it "beta".

So I recognize that "beta affects production" is a phrase that might give you pause! But I hope this answers your question satisfactorily.

-Sumana Harihareswara
Warehouse project manager