Please do not drop Python 2 modules

[Adrian Bunk <bunk@debian.org>]

Hi,

first two facts:

1. Upstream EOL for Python 2 is 2020

2. Debian will fully (security) support Python 2 in buster
   until the EOL of buster (ETA: mid-2022)


Python 2 is obsolete, no doubt about that.

But in many cases a Linux distribution is just a platform for running
own applications, and for various good and bad reasons many of our
users will have to support custom and/or 3rd party Python 2 code on
systems running buster.

We are only making it unnecessarily harder for our users when
Python 2 modules are dropped before buster.

The tip of the iceberg are some recent cases where Python 2 modules
were dropped that still had reverse dependencies in unstable, but
also for those without there will in many cases be users who will
still need these modules in buster.


All of the above applies especially in cases where continuing to
provide a Python 2 module does not cause problems or extra work
(in several cases Python 2 modules were dropped in a new Debian
 revision of a package without any real reason).

There are of course cases (e.g. OpenStack) where providing Python 2
modules in buster is not possible with reasonable effort.


Thanks
Adrian

-- 

       "Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
        of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
       "Only a promise," Lao Er said.
                                       Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed