Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-16 Thread Steve Holden
Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
 Terry Reedy writes:
 
   Stephen J. Turnbull [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in message 
   news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
   | The impression that many people (including python-dev regulars) have
   | that there is a policy of support for both the current release
   | (2.5) and the (still very widely used) previous release (2.4) is a
   | real problem, and needs to be addressed.
 
   I agree that such mis-understanding should be addressed.  So I now think a 
   paragraph summarizing Martin's info PEP, ending with For details, see 
   PEPxxx., would be a good idea.
 
 FWIW, after Martin's explanation, and considering the annoyance of
 keeping updates sync'ed (can PEPs be amended after acceptance, or only
 superseded by a new PEP, like IETF RFCs?), I tend to support Barry's
 suggestion of a brief listing of current releases and next planned,
 and Python policy concerning release planning is defined by [the
 current version of] PEPxxx, with a link.

In which case doesn't it make more sense to use the existing mechanism 
of PEP 356 (Release Schedule)? If something isn't listed in there (even 
without dates) then there are no current plans to release it, and that 
tells the reader everything they need to know.

At the moment the PEP begins with This document describes the 
development and release schedule for Python 2.5. but it could just as 
easily say future releases of the Python 2.X series or something similar.

Which reminds me, that PEP needs updating!

regards
  Steve
-- 
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-16 Thread Nick Coghlan
Steve Holden wrote:
 In which case doesn't it make more sense to use the existing mechanism 
 of PEP 356 (Release Schedule)? If something isn't listed in there (even 
 without dates) then there are no current plans to release it, and that 
 tells the reader everything they need to know.
 
 At the moment the PEP begins with This document describes the 
 development and release schedule for Python 2.5. but it could just as 
 easily say future releases of the Python 2.X series or something similar.
 
 Which reminds me, that PEP needs updating!

Those release schedule PEPs are mainly a TODO list leading up to the 
2.x.0 releases, though - there's a new one for each major version bump:

PEP 160 - Python 1.6
PEP 200 - Python 2.0
PEP 226 - Python 2.1
PEP 251 - Python 2.2
PEP 283 - Python 2.3
PEP 320 - Python 2.4
PEP 356 - Python 2.5
PEP 361 - Python 2.6

Cheers,
Nick.

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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-16 Thread Steve Holden
Nick Coghlan wrote:
 Steve Holden wrote:
 In which case doesn't it make more sense to use the existing mechanism 
 of PEP 356 (Release Schedule)? If something isn't listed in there 
 (even without dates) then there are no current plans to release it, 
 and that tells the reader everything they need to know.

 At the moment the PEP begins with This document describes the 
 development and release schedule for Python 2.5. but it could just as 
 easily say future releases of the Python 2.X series or something 
 similar.

 Which reminds me, that PEP needs updating!
 
 Those release schedule PEPs are mainly a TODO list leading up to the 
 2.x.0 releases, though - there's a new one for each major version bump:
 
 PEP 160 - Python 1.6
 PEP 200 - Python 2.0
 PEP 226 - Python 2.1
 PEP 251 - Python 2.2
 PEP 283 - Python 2.3
 PEP 320 - Python 2.4
 PEP 356 - Python 2.5
 PEP 361 - Python 2.6
 
 Cheers,
 Nick.
 
Thanks, it wouldn't be appropriate then (and 361 *doesn't* need updating).

regards
  Steve
-- 
Steve Holden+1 571 484 6266   +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC/Ltd   http://www.holdenweb.com
Skype: holdenweb  http://del.icio.us/steve.holden
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-12 Thread Stephen J. Turnbull
Terry Reedy writes:

  This strikes me as an improvement, but 'maintain' is close to
  'support' and seems to make a promise that might also have
  unintended legal consequences. But that is what your legal consel
  is for.

Unilateral statements on a web page do not constitute a contract.
Implied warrantees *are* a problem, but those are taken care of by the
license.  (IANAL, etc.)

What's left is purely an issue of marketing, ie, to real people a
promise is a promise whether legally enforced or not.  No matter how
weaselly the wording on the website, users expect support and
deprecate projects that don't provide it.

And in Python practice they get it, and will continue calling it
support.  Unless there are real legal consequences, I think it's a
good idea for the PSF to define explicitly how the resources it either
controls or can elicit from volunteers will be used, to the extent
that PSF can do so.  And it's best if the words support and
maintain are used, because that's how the users think about it.

  'Official' statements need both motivation (what is there that is
  actually broken?)

The impression that many people (including python-dev regulars) have
that there is a policy of support for both the current release
(2.5) and the (still very widely used) previous release (2.4) is a
real problem, and needs to be addressed.

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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-12 Thread Martin v. Löwis
 Python can dispose of a raft of bugs present only in the older
 versions with WONTFIX at release of a new stable version (after
 double-checking that they don't exist in the stable version).

I'm all in favor of formalizing a policy of when Python releases
are produced, and what Python releases, and what kinds of changes
they may contain. However, such a policy should be addressed
primarily to contributors, as a guidance, not to users, as
a promise. So I have problems with both official and support
still.

 Developers can respond to reports of bugs in the immediate past
 version with I'm sorry, but we try to concentrate our limited
 resources on supporting the current version, and it is unlikely that
 it will be fixed.  Please post to c.l.p for help.  Users are
 disappointed, but it builds trust, and more so if supported by an
 official statement.

The way we make policy statements is through the PEP process. This
is important, because it involves the community in setting the
policy. The PSF board has often explicitly tried to stay out
of managing the Python development itself, and has deferred that
to python-dev and its readership.

I had meant to propose a PEP on maintenance of Python releases
for quite some time now; perhaps this is the time to actually
write this PEP.

Regards,
Martin
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-12 Thread Stephen J. Turnbull
Martin v. Löwis writes:

  I'm all in favor of formalizing a policy of when Python releases
  are produced, and what Python releases, and what kinds of changes
  they may contain. However, such a policy should be addressed
  primarily to contributors, as a guidance, not to users, as
  a promise. So I have problems with both official and support
  still.

I see your point, but I don't see how you propose to keep the users
from viewing the guidelines to developers as official policy regarding
support, albeit hard to interpret.

Also, it may just be me, but I don't see an official statement as a
promise.  It's a clarification.  '''This is what we're trying to
do, so you can make well-informed plans, and not be surprised when you
ask for something and we say but we never thought about doing that,
and don't intend to.'''

  The way we make policy statements is through the PEP process.

Creating the statement that way is important.  But publishing a PEP is
not enough.  Non-developer users don't read PEPs.

After thinking about it a bit, I do agree that maintain is more
appropriate than support (this is after my reply to Terry Reedy,
where I wrote that support was OK).  Support implies education and
adaptation to user needs, but even if that is done by the PSF, it's a
separate activity from the development and release processes.  While
maintenance does include response to user bug reports as part of the
development/release process.
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-12 Thread Martin v. Löwis
   I'm all in favor of formalizing a policy of when Python releases
   are produced, and what Python releases, and what kinds of changes
   they may contain. However, such a policy should be addressed
   primarily to contributors, as a guidance, not to users, as
   a promise. So I have problems with both official and support
   still.
 
 I see your point, but I don't see how you propose to keep the users
 from viewing the guidelines to developers as official policy regarding
 support, albeit hard to interpret.

And that's fine if they do. I don't mind if a statement is considered
official if it is
- a BDFL pronouncement, or
- the result of a PSF board or members vote

Otherwise, it isn't official. There are other officers which
can make official statements, e.g. the release manager can also
make official statements, but anybody else's statement is just
an opinion.

   The way we make policy statements is through the PEP process.
 
 Creating the statement that way is important.  But publishing a PEP is
 not enough.  Non-developer users don't read PEPs.

Right. It's fine to rephrase (para-phrase?) the consensus achieved in a
PEP. However, that rephrasing cannot precede the PEP.

 After thinking about it a bit, I do agree that maintain is more
 appropriate than support (this is after my reply to Terry Reedy,
 where I wrote that support was OK).  Support implies education and
 adaptation to user needs, but even if that is done by the PSF, it's a
 separate activity from the development and release processes.  

That was exactly my concern about support. I associate with support
that there is a hotline I can call and they will help me. I've used
various support infrastructures in the past years (from Microsoft,
Dell, Veritas/Symantec), and in all cases, support meant that
somebody would help me with a specific problem. Unsupported product
then means if you have a problem with that product, we won't help.
There is good and bad support, of course, and I know which companies
provided me good support and which didn't.

There are indeed various support channels for python: comp.lang.python,
python-tutors, and python-help, and none of them have the notion of
unsupported Python releases. Thing become unsupported by no
volunteer being willing to offer help.

It's also important to understand that the bug tracker is *not*
a means of user support, even though users sometimes mistake it
to be so, and end their bug report with a call for help. It's
vice versa: a bug report is a *contribution* by the user, i.e.
a means for giving a gift, not for requesting one.

Regards,
Martin
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-12 Thread Terry Reedy

Stephen J. Turnbull [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in message 
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
| The impression that many people (including python-dev regulars) have
| that there is a policy of support for both the current release
| (2.5) and the (still very widely used) previous release (2.4) is a
| real problem, and needs to be addressed.

I agree that such mis-understanding should be addressed.  So I now think a 
paragraph summarizing Martin's info PEP, ending with For details, see 
PEPxxx., would be a good idea.

tjr



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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-12 Thread Stephen J. Turnbull
Terry Reedy writes:

  Stephen J. Turnbull [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in message 
  news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
  | The impression that many people (including python-dev regulars) have
  | that there is a policy of support for both the current release
  | (2.5) and the (still very widely used) previous release (2.4) is a
  | real problem, and needs to be addressed.

  I agree that such mis-understanding should be addressed.  So I now think a 
  paragraph summarizing Martin's info PEP, ending with For details, see 
  PEPxxx., would be a good idea.

FWIW, after Martin's explanation, and considering the annoyance of
keeping updates sync'ed (can PEPs be amended after acceptance, or only
superseded by a new PEP, like IETF RFCs?), I tend to support Barry's
suggestion of a brief listing of current releases and next planned,
and Python policy concerning release planning is defined by [the
current version of] PEPxxx, with a link.
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-12 Thread Terry Reedy

Stephen J. Turnbull [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in message 
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
| FWIW, after Martin's explanation, and considering the annoyance of
| keeping updates sync'ed (can PEPs be amended after acceptance, or only
| superseded by a new PEP, like IETF RFCs?),

Informational PEPs often get updated (starting with PEP 1!) 



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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-11 Thread Barry Warsaw
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-
Hash: SHA1

On May 10, 2007, at 12:53 PM, Terry Reedy wrote:

 This strikes me as a bit over-officious (the 'officially' adds  
 nothing to
 me except a bit of stuffiness).

 Worse, it seems wrong and hence, to me, misleading.  The current de  
 facto
 policy is that when a new major release comes out, there is a *final*
 minor, bugfix release of the previous major version.  Thus, 2.5 is  
 being
 supported while 2.6 is being worked on.  As I understand it, there  
 are no
 more plans to touch 2.4 than 2.3 and so on.  So the current message  
 is:
 If you want a 2.5 bug fixed, find it, report it, and help get it  
 fixed now
 before 2.6 is released.

 I am aware that if a trustworthy person or persons were to backport  
 some
 substantial numbers of fixes from 2.5 to 2.4, greenlight the test  
 suite on
 several systems, cut release candidates, and repond to reports, the  
 file
 would appear on the official Python site.  But currently, as far as  
 I know,
 this 'support' is as empty as the Official Help-Yourself Plate of  
 Donated
 Cookies on my kitchen table.

I'm happy to document whatever we decide the policy is, but I think  
we should decide and produce an official statement as such.  It helps  
users and vendors to know what they can count on us for and what they  
might be on their own for.  It's also not that big of a deal if we  
amend the policy later because we have volunteer release managers for  
earlier versions.

- -Barry

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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-11 Thread Barry Warsaw
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-
Hash: SHA1

On May 10, 2007, at 6:46 PM, Martin v. Löwis wrote:

 The Python Software Foundation officially supports the current
 stable major release and one prior major release.  Currently, Python
 2.5 and 2.4 are officially supported.

 If you take officially supported to mean there will be further  
 bugfix
 releases, then no: 2.4 is not anymore officially supported. Only 2.5
 is officially supported. There may, of course, be security patches
 released for 2.4 if there is a need.

Is this draft any better?

The Python Software Foundation officially supports the current  
stable major release of Python.  By supports we mean that the PSF  
will produce bug fix releases of this version, currently Python 2.5.   
We may release patches for earlier versions if necessary, such as to  
fix security problems, but we generally do not make releases of such  
unsupported versions.  Patch releases of earlier Python versions may  
be made available through third parties, including OS vendors.

- -Barry

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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-11 Thread Tony Nelson
At 12:58 AM +0200 5/12/07, Martin v. Löwis wrote:
 The Python Software Foundation officially supports the current
 stable major release of Python.  By supports we mean that the PSF
 will produce bug fix releases of this version, currently Python 2.5.
 We may release patches for earlier versions if necessary, such as to
 fix security problems, but we generally do not make releases of such
 unsupported versions.  Patch releases of earlier Python versions may
 be made available through third parties, including OS vendors.

If such an official statement still can be superseded by an even more
official PEP, it's fine with me.

However, I would prefer to not use the verb support at all. We (the
PSF) don't provide any technical support for *any* version ever
released: '''PSF is making Python available to Licensee on an AS IS
basis.  PSF MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED.  BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, BUT NOT LIMITATION, PSF MAKES NO AND
DISCLAIMS ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE OF PYTHON WILL NOT
INFRINGE ANY THIRD PARTY RIGHTS.'''

The more I think about it: no, there is no official support for the
current stable release. We will like produce more bug fix releases,
but then, we may not if the volunteers doing so lose time or
interest, and 2.6 comes out earlier than planned.

Why do you need such a statement?

I think Fedora might want it, per recent discussions on fedora-devel-list.

My impertinent attempt:

The Python Software Foundation maintains the current stable major
release of Python.  By maintains we mean that the PSF will produce
bug fix releases of that version, currently Python 2.5.  We have
released patches for earlier versions as necessary, such as to fix
security problems, but we generally do not make releases of such
prior versions.  Patched releases of earlier Python versions may be
made available through third parties, including OS vendors.
-- 

TonyN.:'   mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
  '  http://www.georgeanelson.com/
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-11 Thread skip

Tony The Python Software Foundation maintains the current stable major
Tony release of Python.  By maintains we mean that the PSF will
Tony produce bug fix releases of that version, currently Python 2.5.
Tony We have released patches for earlier versions as necessary, such
Tony as to fix security problems, but we generally do not make releases
Tony of such prior versions.  Patched releases of earlier Python
Tony versions may be made available through third parties, including OS
Tony vendors.

Since there is (generally?) an attempt to make one last bug fix release of
the previous version after the next major version is released, should that
be mentioned?  To make it concrete, I believe shortly after 2.5.0 was
released the final bug fix release of 2.4 (2.4.4?) was released.

Skip
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-11 Thread Terry Reedy

Tony Nelson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in message 
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]

At 12:58 AM +0200 5/12/07, Martin v. Löwis wrote:
|However, I would prefer to not use the verb support at all.

agreed

|The Python Software Foundation maintains the current stable major
|release of Python.  By maintains we mean that the PSF will produce
|bug fix releases of that version, currently Python 2.5.

This strikes me as an improvement, but 'maintain' is close to 'support' and 
seems to make a promise that might also have unintended legal consequences. 
But that is what your legal consel is for.

The actuality is that the legal fiction called the PSF *releases* new 
versions produced by a collection of volunteers, some of whom are PSF 
members and who perhaps consider that they do their work 'in the name of' 
PSF, and some of whom are not PSF members and perhaps do not have such a 
consideration.

Defining CPython as a PSF rather than volunteer community product might 
discourage volunteer contributions.  'Official' statements need both 
motivation (what is there that is actually broken?) and care (to not break 
something else).

| We have released patches for earlier versions as necessary, such as to 
fix
security problems,

Funny thing here is that the security releases, by necessity, are more a 
PSF product than normal releases.

Terry Jan Reedy



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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-11 Thread Stephen J. Turnbull
Martin v. Löwis writes:

  However, I would prefer to not use the verb support at all. We (the
  PSF) don't provide any technical support for *any* version ever
  released: '''PSF is making Python available to Licensee on an AS IS
  basis.  PSF MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES [...].'''

Of course the PSF provides *excellent* technical support; you just
don't acknowledge any *obligation* to do it.  A declaration of support
is not a warranty, of course.  So I see no problem with using the word
support.  You may wish to clarify with terms like resources
available.

  Why do you need such a statement?

Because it expresses what IMO *actually happens* clearly, and
clarifies the intent of the PSF to continue in the same way.  This is
useful to users making decisions, even though the PSF owns few to none
of the resources needed.  The generosity of the contributors and their
loyalty to Python and to each other practically guarantees availability.

Python can dispose of a raft of bugs present only in the older
versions with WONTFIX at release of a new stable version (after
double-checking that they don't exist in the stable version).
Developers can respond to reports of bugs in the immediate past
version with I'm sorry, but we try to concentrate our limited
resources on supporting the current version, and it is unlikely that
it will be fixed.  Please post to c.l.p for help.  Users are
disappointed, but it builds trust, and more so if supported by an
official statement.
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-11 Thread Anthony Baxter
On Saturday 12 May 2007, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 Since there is (generally?) an attempt to make one last bug fix
 release of the previous version after the next major version is
 released, should that be mentioned?  To make it concrete, I
 believe shortly after 2.5.0 was released the final bug fix
 release of 2.4 (2.4.4?) was released.

Correct. Note that this is only something that's been in place while 
I've been doing it. The current standard for how we do releases 
is just something I made up as I went along, including 
- regular 6-monthly bugfix releases
- only one maintenance branch (most recent) for the bugfix releases
- the last bugfix release of the previous release after a new major 
release.

I'm OK with these being formalised - but any additional requirements 
I'd like to discuss first :-)

Anthony

-- 
Anthony Baxter [EMAIL PROTECTED]
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-10 Thread Terry Reedy

Barry Warsaw [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in message 
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
| -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-
| Hash: SHA1
|
| This came up in a different context.  I originally emailed this to
| the python.org admins, but Aahz rightly points out that we should
| first agree here that this actually /is/ our official stance.
|
| - -snip-
|
| We have an official unofficial policy of supporting only Python
| 2.current and 2.(current - 1), and /not/ supporting anything earlier.
|
| Do we already have an official statement to this effect on the
| website?  The closest thing I could find was on the download page,
| but that's not really definitive.
|
| What do you think about adding something like the following to the
| top of the download page:
|
| The Python Software Foundation officially supports the current
| stable major release and one prior major release.  Currently, Python
| 2.5 and 2.4 are officially supported.  Where appropriate and
| necessary, patches for earlier releases may be made available, but no
| earlier versions are officially supported by the PSF.  We do not make
| releases of unsupported versions, although patched versions may
| become available through other vendors.

This strikes me as a bit over-officious (the 'officially' adds nothing to 
me except a bit of stuffiness).

Worse, it seems wrong and hence, to me, misleading.  The current de facto 
policy is that when a new major release comes out, there is a *final* 
minor, bugfix release of the previous major version.  Thus, 2.5 is being 
supported while 2.6 is being worked on.  As I understand it, there are no 
more plans to touch 2.4 than 2.3 and so on.  So the current message is: 
If you want a 2.5 bug fixed, find it, report it, and help get it fixed now 
before 2.6 is released.

I am aware that if a trustworthy person or persons were to backport some 
substantial numbers of fixes from 2.5 to 2.4, greenlight the test suite on 
several systems, cut release candidates, and repond to reports, the file 
would appear on the official Python site.  But currently, as far as I know, 
this 'support' is as empty as the Official Help-Yourself Plate of Donated 
Cookies on my kitchen table.

The reason, is seems to me, that prior major releases do not get support is 
that they do not much need it.  For practical purposes, core CPython is 
pretty  much bug free.  Module bugs get reported and fixed or worked 
around.  Old users can upgrade if they want fixes that appear later.  And 
new users generally start with the current major release.

Terry Jan Reedy



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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-10 Thread Fred L. Drake, Jr.
On Thursday 10 May 2007, Barry Warsaw wrote:
  This came up in a different context.  I originally emailed this to
  the python.org admins, but Aahz rightly points out that we should
  first agree here that this actually /is/ our official stance.

+1


  -Fred

-- 
Fred L. Drake, Jr.   fdrake at acm.org
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Re: [Python-Dev] Official version support statement

2007-05-10 Thread Martin v. Löwis
 The Python Software Foundation officially supports the current
 stable major release and one prior major release.  Currently, Python
 2.5 and 2.4 are officially supported.  

If you take officially supported to mean there will be further bugfix
releases, then no: 2.4 is not anymore officially supported. Only 2.5
is officially supported. There may, of course, be security patches
released for 2.4 if there is a need.

Regards,
Martin
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