[Biopython-dev] Updating Biopython requirements wording to recommend Python 3

[Peter Cock]

On Wed, Oct 7, 2015 at 2:58 PM, Christian Brueffer
<christian at brueffer.de> wrote:
> On 2015-10-06 12:55, Peter Cock wrote:
>>
>> I'm not comfortable promising anything as far ahead as 2020 -
>> even forecasting a few years ahead will be hard for many of us.
>>
>> But we might as well declare Python 2.6 deprecated in the
>> imminent Biopython 1.66 release:
>>
>>
>> https://github.com/biopython/biopython/commit/ab5915977b091275ff90de98d8d11d17488ec225
>>
>> That commit also replaces the old recommendation of Python 2.6
>> with suggesting Python 3.5, but I do not consider the current
>> wording final.
>>
>> Out of interest, for those of you on the biopython-dev list, what
>> is your current default or main Python version/implementation?
>> I'm wondering what the split is amongst our main contributors.
>>
>> [Our cluster is running CentOS release 6.7 (Final) which still
>> has Python 2.6.6 as its default, but I tend to use my own
>> copies of Python installed from source under $HOME]
>>
>
> I mostly use Anaconda Python 2.7.  No reason besides habit at this point; I
> keep my code compatible to Python 3 for the most part, and I think all
> modules I use are Python 3 compatible now.
>
> I do work on a few CentOS 6.7 systems with Python 2.6.6 as well, but I don't
> need Biopython there.
>
> I think deprecating Python 2.6 makes sense at this point, but given the
> number of CentOS 6.x systems out there, keeping the support for two or so
> releases would be good.
>
> Chris

Absolutely - following our deprecation procedure declaring Python 2.6
support as deprecated with Biopython 1.66 means we'll keep support
in Biopython 1.67 and any other releases within a year of 1.66 too (so
very likely at least 1.68 as well).

Also removing Python 2.6 support can be postponed in response to
user feedback.

Thanks for speaking up as another CentOS 6.x user :)

Peter