Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Continuing To Work On Python 2 Removal

The goal for Ubuntu 20.04 is to ship with Python 2 removed since Py2 will be end-of-life after the start of the year and this next Ubuntu Linux release is a Long-Term Support release, but there still are many Python 2 depending packages left currently in Debian unstable and Ubuntu's "Focal Fossa" archive.

Ubuntu/Debian developer Matthias Klose who has been doing much of the wrangling for getting Python 2 removed for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS sent out the latest update overnight. There still are around 3,300 bugs filed in Debian related to Python 2 packages and of those some 1,500 closed while around 350 packages are only available in Ubuntu's Focal repository and not upstream Debian.

The goal is obviously to convert as many packages as possible from Python 2 to Python 3, but for many packages no longer maintained this may prove to be an issue. For most software not Python 3 compatible it will ultimately face deletion from the archive if no one steps up to take care of the necessary porting. And then there is the matter of any still Python 2 only software that is important to Ubuntu/Debian. For that it's still to be determined but the goal is to have Python 2 removed ahead of the Ubuntu 20.04 LTS release in April.

More details in this mailing list post.