[portgroups] Python

[Bjarne D Mathiesen]

Mojca Miklavec wrote:
> On Fri, 13 Sep 2019 at 03:51, Bjarne D Mathiesen wrote:
>>
>> Richard L. Hamilton wrote:
>>> Depending on the results, with some effort, it might be possible to drop some of the intermediate versions. But only if a later suitable (for everything dependent on it) version is possible on every supported OS. And it would mean bumping portfiles, and rebuilding everything depending on dropped versions.  It probably wouldn't be worth the bother, and given all the constraints, might only get rid of a few versions.
>>>
>>
>> so we've got 2 issues here :
>>     - which pythonXY the pyXY-{name} support
>>       and whether theese can be brought up to python37
>>     - whether any Portfile that demands a pythonXY that isn't python37
>>       can be updated to depend on python37 instead
>>
>> We'll need some statistict / overview on this matter.
>> I'll look into this.
>>
>> It's also a question about keeping the macports infrastructure up-to-date.
>>
>> I've eg somehow gotten libsvm installed, and it has :
>>     Variants:  [+]java, [+]python27, python34, [+]tools, universal
>> as well as being seriously out-of-date:
>>     libsvm @3.20_2 -> Version 3.24, September 2019
> 
> This looks like an obvious example of a port that simply no-one
> touched for years and should probably be easy to update, replace
> python34 with python37 (as well as make that one default if it works
> as expected).

I could realitively easily do the upgrade - I've already taken a look at
it. Problem is, it's not something I think I've ever used (it was
something I installed because of a College Course but they told us to
use Anaconda instead) so I'll have no way of testing it in production.

$=> port dependents libsvm
py37-pymvpa depends on libsvm

$=> port info py-pymvpa
py-pymvpa @2.6.5_1 (python, science, math)
Sub-ports:  py27-pymvpa,
            py34-pymvpa, py35-pymvpa, py36-pymvpa, py37-pymvpa
maintainers         {stromnov @stromnov} openmaintainer

So, I'ld say, it's the responsibility of the maintainer of py-pymvpa to
also maintain libsvm.

> 
> In general updating from 2.7 to 3.7 is not always possible, in
> particular we still don't have the port for wxWidgets (Phoenix), and
> software needs to be rewritten to use that one as well.

I know that. It's eg a major problem if you want/need to use utf-8.

> 
> I would say that we'll need to keep 2.7 around, but of course switch
> to 3.7 as much as possible.

!!! EVERYBODY !!! is in process of switching over to 3.7 :
    https://python3statement.org/
and ending support for their 2.7 versions on 2020-01-01
> 
> Personally I don't mind if we remove all traces of Python 2.4-2.6
> which should be very easy. Almost nothing depends on that, it's just
> there if someone would want to some extent still run the older python.

I've taken the 1st step in that process :
    https://github.com/macports/macports-ports/pull/5265

> 
> Removing any traces of 3.x up to 3.6 should be straightforward, but
> requiring quite a bit of (tedious) work.

I'm willing to undertake that piece of clean-up ;-)
Are you of the opinion, that removing 3.5 too will be a good idea ?!?

> 
> Mojca
> 
> PS: just removing the numbers from portgroup is not sufficient. All
> ports that don't specify the default version need to be revbumped and
> checked that they are compatible with python 3.7 at least, or at least
> those should specify the default python version.
> n

As I've stated in a previous post, the 1st order of the day is to get
some stats on the size of the problem.

There'll also be the problem of transitioning to 3.8.0 that according to
the schedule should have 3.8.0 final: Monday, 2019-10-21 , so IMHO it
would be a good idea to plan for that already now.

-- 
Bjarne D Mathiesen
Korsør ; Danmark ; Europa
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