Ubuntu & Debian Moving Along With Plans For Removing Python 2 Packages

With Debian 10 "Buster" out the door and Python 2 hitting end-of-life at the end of the year, Debian is working on their process of removing Python 2 packages that don't get ported to Python 3 and Ubuntu is working on similar action for their Python 2 packages not found in upstream Debian.

Debian 10 will continue offering Python 2 support but looking ahead to Debian 11 "Bullseye" and Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is where each distribution is looking to respectively do away with their older support and just focus on Python 3. With just a little more than five months to go until Python 2 will officially be retired, they are working on transitioning capable packages over to using Python 3 where able and for unmaintained code comes down to removing them when there are no reverse dependencies.

Last week Matthias Klose laid out the Ubuntu packages affected for Python 2 dependent software found in Ubuntu but not upstream Debian. Most of those Ubuntu Python 2 dependent packages will likely end up being removed if there is no interest shown in maintaining and porting them to Python 3.