[Python-ideas] Migration of /usr/bin/python to python3

[Andrew Barnert]

On Mar 15, 2015, at 4:06 PM, Barry Warsaw <barry at python.org> wrote:
> 
>> On Mar 14, 2015, at 08:50 PM, Andrew Barnert wrote:
>> 
>> Maybe in 5-10 years we'll be at a point where you can count on the symlink
>> being there on most *nix systems that have Python 2 pre-installed. Except, of
>> course, that most *nix systems won't have Python 2 pre-installed anymore by
>> then (and those that do will probably overlap quite a bit with the ones that
>> don't have the symlink).
> 
> That's the point.  By the time Python 2.7 EOLs and (IMHO) we make any change
> to /usr/bin/python, there will have been plenty of time to make sure anybody
> running a modern OS version will have the python2 symlink.

If you're suggesting that people distributing Python 2.7 scripts in 5-10 years should use python2, then sure, I agree. But you're suggesting they should do that today (or, if not you, then the PEP, and others in this thread). And there hasn't been plenty of time today.

And people shouldn't be distributing new Python 2.7 scripts in 5-10 years. If this is still a major issue when 2.7 EOLs, then 2.7 shouldn't EOL, and 3.x has been a failure. But I personally think that's unlikely. Most people will switch to 3 by then, and those who don't will mostly have special circumstances (e.g., they're adding to a server that has other components that require legacy software).

> Given how easy it is to add yourself, I'm not worried about legacy systems or
> rebels who wouldn't add the link.

People using their brand-new MacBook or a hosted CentOS server aren't rebels, and they're not using legacy systems. (They're also less likely to know how to deal with a problem than someone running a linux desktop or maintaining their own server.)