[Avocado-devel] Avocado release 69.1 (LTS minor release)

[Cleber Rosa]

On Thu, Jun 13, 2019 at 09:59:44AM +0530, Praveen wrote:
> Hi Cleber,
> 
>   We need your support on Avocado python2 supported version  As we are from
> IBM still using python2 supported avocado as still some of the distribution
> which we verify has python 2 support only As you know we have issue already
> in place https://github.com/avocado-framework/avocado/issues/3088
>

Hi Praveen,

If you mean that you need support on the LTS release, then you can absolutely
count on the terms that we set for the LTS maintenance.  69.x supports Python
2 and will continue to be maintained for about ~1.5 years, way past the end
of support for Python 2 itself (see https://pythonclock.org/).

> Listing Down Possible Solution Please provide your Thoughts
> 
> |1- As IBM going providing support for avocado python 2 as kind of a patch
> set which can be applied on TOP of avocado master branch 2- ||As new Feature
> also need to be Accepted to LTS (68) as right now we only accept bug fixes
> and maintain this LTS release for more time may IBM can also help here . |||
> 
>

About point #1, any person or entity is free to maintain a fork of
this (or any other Open Source project).  You'd just have to measure
the cost/benefit of doing so.  And in doing so, I think it'd be wiser
to fork 69lts instead, adding the features you may be missing.

If you mean that you want to apply that on top of the master branch,
bringing *back* Python 2 support to master, then I must say that I
personally feel that this is not the right strategy for this (or any
other Python based) project at this point.  Given the status of Python
2 itself, it's time to move forward, not backwards.  As an individual
developer, I feel that I can deliver more features if I don't have to
deal with Python 2 and Python 3 compatibility.

About #2, this proposal would break the stability aspect, which is a
core aspect of the LTS release.  By adding new features, we increase
the likelihood to break user's environment.  And this is what we
already do with the non-LTS releases.

Finally, it'd be more practical if you could list the features that
you're missing from *69lts* (currently *69.1*, not 68.0).  Maybe
you won't even need a fork, maybe a set supplemental utility libraries
that can be distributed / fetched separately will suit you.

Regards,
- Cleber.

> Regards
> Praveen
> 
> 
> On 6/13/19 6:02 AM, Cleber Rosa wrote:
> > Hello everyone,
> > 
> > This is an Avocado LTS minor release announcement: 69.1, the first minor
> > release of the 69.x LTS series, is now available!
> > 
> > About LTS (Long Term Stability)
> > ===============================
> > 
> > This release is the third LTS (Long Term Stability) release.  The
> > previous LTS release, 52.x, will be supported for an additional 6
> > months from the 69.0 release date (or about another 4 months).
> > 
> > Read more about what LTS means here:
> > 
> >   http://avocado-framework.readthedocs.io/en/latest/rfcs/LongTermStability.html
> > 
> > LTS Minor Release Notes
> > =======================
> > 
> > A minor LTS release should bring no upgrade impacts, besides bugs
> > being fixed.  For more information please refer to:
> > 
> >   http://avocado-framework.readthedocs.io/en/69.1/release_notes/lts/69_1.html
> > 
> > Installing Avocado
> > ==================
> > 
> > Instructions are available in our documentation on how to install
> > either with packages or from source:
> > 
> >   http://avocado-framework.readthedocs.io/en/69.1/GetStartedGuide.html#installing-avocado
> > 
> > Updated RPM packages are available for EPEL 7, Fedora 28 and 29.  For
> > the Fedoras, packages are available for both Python 3 and Python 2.
> > 
> > Also, updated Python source and binary packages are available on PyPI:
> > 
> >   https://pypi.org/project/avocado-framework/
> > 
> > Regards,
> >