FYI: Mail to python package maintainers
I sent the following mail "Python-2.1 becoming Debian's default Python
^version" to each maintainer probably affected by the switch to the new
Python version:
You get this mail, because you are the maintainer of packages probably
affected by the change of the Python version. Followups and replies,
which could be of interest for all "Python packagers", should be sent to
debian-python@lists.debian.org. Your packages are:
<maintainer's package list>
What happened? In the past months, we had several discussions about
different versions of Python in Debian, and how to make upgrades between
different versions. You can read it in the archives of the debian-python
mailing list (http://lists.debian.org/debian-python/2001/).
The discussions led to a proposed python policy. The current version
0.3.7 can be found at
http://ftp-master.debian.org/~doko/python/python-policy.txt
Newer versions may exist at http://people.debian.org/~flight/python/.
We prepared python packages, which follow this policy and which make
Python 2.1 the default Python version in Debian. These packages can be
found at:
deb http://ftp-master.debian.org/~doko/python ./
Where do we head? We want to upload these new packages to unstable on
Tuesday (2001-10-30) or Wednesday (2001-10-31). Because most of the
python dependent packages in Debian have unversioned dependencies on
the python version, you will have to set the new python packages on
hold, until you have verified, that they work with the new python version.
If it is necessary to ship the next Debian release with python1.5, we
will do. We will not ship with the python2.0 packages, as all these
packages cn be converted to use version 2.1. There are 2.2 beta packages
in unstable, but not as the default, because the final 2.2 version
is not yet released.
What changed with the new packages?
- The python-base package is gone. We have no package providing
python-base, because we simply do not know, if a package is compatible
with version 2.1. So for the simplest case, a package maintainer
should check, if his package works with 2.1, and then replace the
dependency on python-base with:
Depends: python (>= 2.1), python (<< 2.2).
If the package does not work with the new version, the package should
depend on python1.5 and scripts must call the interpreter 'python1.5'
explicitely.
This will lead to a short period of instability in unstable, but
should be resolveable within a week.
- See the Appendix B of the python-policy for an upgrade path.
Need some help? We will prepare NMUs for packages, which are maintained by
the Debian-QA team. If I am asked for and my time allows it, I am willing
to make NMUs for other packages as well (or better: directly ask on
debian-python@lists.debian.org).
If you want to build packages for the new schema, there is a group
writeable directory on ftp.master.debian.org: ~doko/www/python-uploads,
where you could place your newly built packages. I will copy these
packages to incoming together with the new Python packages.
We hope to make a smooth upgrade from 1.5 to 2.1 and provide a current
Python version with bells, whistles and packages for woody.
Matthias Klose (and Gregor Hoffleit).
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