[Python-Dev] PEP 594: Removing dead batteries from the standard library

[Antoine Pitrou]

On Tue, 21 May 2019 00:55:20 +0200
Christian Heimes <christian at python.org> wrote:

> On 21/05/2019 00.13, Antoine Pitrou wrote:
> > On Tue, 21 May 2019 00:06:35 +0200
> > Christian Heimes <christian at python.org> wrote:  
> >> On 20/05/2019 23.27, Antoine Pitrou wrote:  
> >>> NNTP is still quite used (often through GMane, but probably not only) so
> >>> I'd question the removal of nntplib.    
> >>
> >> Is NNTP support important enough to keep the module in the standard library?  
> > 
> > I'd phrase the question differently: is NNTP dead enough, or nntplib
> > painful enough to maintain, that it's worth removing it from the stdlib?  
> 
> The module itself does not create much work. But its tests are a regular source of pain and instabilities. The tests for nntplib depend on external NNTP servers. These servers are sometimes down, very slow, or don't work over IPv6. I'm sure that Pablo and Victor can tell you some war stories. I briefly mentioned the issues in the PEP, too.

I plead guilty for adding those tests :-/  Back then, it seemed
reasonable to test the nntplib module against real-world servers, since
like all old Internet text protocols NNTP is not always implemented
rigorously.

If the NNTP networked tests are an annoyance, they should probably be
skipped on CI.

Regards

Antoine.