Re: Move to python 2.2 as default release?

[Florent Rougon <florent.rougon@free.fr>]

Laura Creighton <lac@strakt.com> wrote:

> Okay, I (and several other people) are confused.  What does
> 'the next default python' and 'skipping 2.2 entirely' that Chris Lawrence 
> writes mean?

It means that, if realized, the next Debian release would have:
  - python 2.3 in the "standard" set of packages
  - python 2.1, 2.2 (and perhaps others), optional
  - /usr/bin/python launching python 2.3
  - /usr/bin/pythonx.y launching python x.y (available only if the
    pythonx.y package is installed)

'skipping 2.2 entirely' means that no Debian release would have shipped
with /usr/bin/python launching Python 2.2, since Python 2.1 is the
default in the latest release.

But as others explained, if a package really needs Python 2.2, its
dependencies will pull python2.2 for the user, so it's not so big a deal
from the user's POV.

> If typing apt-get is the hardest technical thing you ever do, I want
> you to get 2.2, not 2.1 or 2.3 when you decide to get Python.  

"apt-get install python" (as would "apt-get install python2.3") would
fetch 2.3.

"apt-get install python2.2" would fetch 2.2.

>                                                                Also, I
> want developers to know the answer to the question 'what Python 
> version should I develop for to best reach my intended audience of 
> everybody who isn't another bleeding edge Python developer' is also 2.2.

This would perhaps not be *so* obvious.

-- 
Florent