Python 2.0.1; transition plans for woody

[Gregor Hoffleit <gregor@mediasupervision.de>]

Hi,

Python 2.0.1 is out, finally with a GPL compatible license. Zope 2.3.3 works
fine with Python 2.0; I'm not aware of any problems with Debian packages
wrt. Python 2.x. That nullifies all reasons for the existance of dual Python
packages in Debian (cf. /usr/share/doc/python2/README.why-python2)

IMHO this is the point where we should make a big step, and enforce a quick
transition of the archive to Python 2.0.1.


This would mean that I upload new versions of the Python packages:

  (1) python2 (python2-base etc.) would be removed

  (2) python 2.0.1-1 (python-base etc.) would replace python 1.5.2-16

  (3) A new set of legacy packages python15 (python152 ???) for those who
      think that they depend on the old version 1.5.2.

      
The transition would not be simple, though.

Nearly all Python packages (to be exact: those who install things in
/usr/lib/python1.5, those who build binary extension modules, and those who
link with libpython1.5) would have to be modified and rebuilt. Those
packages that provide both python2-* and python-* versions would have to be
modified to instead build python-* and python15-* versions; the dependencies
of those packages would need closer inspection.

Still I think it is much preferable to make this transition before the
release of woody; when we release woody with python2-* packages this will be
a big unnecessary burden for the next release; when we make the migration
now, only people who are using unstable might be hurt during the transition
process.


What do you think ?

    Gregor