Confusion about python versions

[Aseem Bansal]

Python 2.7.6 release candidate 1 and 3.3.3 release candidate 1 was released yesterday. Also Python 3.4.0 alpha 4 was released a week ago.

I thought as Python 3.4.0 alpha was released 3.3 branch was done. The 3.3.3 release candidate fixes many bugs as per the changelog so would they be included in 3.4.0?

For how long do the older versions get supported in case of Python? Do bugfix releases for older versions keeps on happening even when new branch is released? Isn't that a lot of work to manage so many versions?

How do the Python versions work? For how long is Python 2 going to be supported?

 

[Ned Batchelder]

Python 2.7.6 release candidate 1 and 3.3.3 release candidate 1 was released yesterday. Also Python 3.4.0 alpha 4 was released a week ago.

I thought as Python 3.4.0 alpha was released 3.3 branch was done. The 3.3.3 release candidate fixes many bugs as per the changelog so would they be included in 3.4.0?

For how long do the older versions get supported in case of Python? Do bugfix releases for older versions keeps on happening even when new branch is released? Isn't that a lot of work to manage so many versions?

How do the Python versions work? For how long is Python 2 going to be supported?

They're also preparing 2.6.9. Older versions get supported for a long
time, not sure of the official schedule. 2.7.x will be supported for
even longer, since it's the last of the 2.x series.

Python takes backward compatibility and long-term support seriously.

--Ned.

 

[Terry Reedy]

Python 2.7.6 release candidate 1 and 3.3.3 release candidate 1 was
released yesterday. Also Python 3.4.0 alpha 4 was released a week
ago.

I thought as Python 3.4.0 alpha was released 3.3 branch was done.

Normal 3.3 bugfixes are not done until 3.4.0 (final) is released. There
will be a 3.3.4 at that time.

3.3.3 release candidate fixes many bugs as per the changelog so would
they be included in 3.4.0?

Yes. 3.3 patches are merged forward unless not applicable.

How long do the older versions get supported in case of Python?

After normal maintenance ends, code-only, security-fix-only releases of
x.y continue after that until 5 years after x.y.0. 3.3.0 was released
2012 Feb so security releases will continue until about 2017 Feb.

The initial 2.6 release was about 2008 Sept, I believe, so this is 5
years later.

Do bugfix releases for older versions keeps on happening even when
new branch is released?

Isn't that a lot of work to manage so many versions?

Yes. Core developers will be very happy when normal maintenance of 2.7 ends.

How do the Python versions work? For how long is Python 2 going to be
supported?

2.7, released about 2010 July, is a special case. It is already past the
normal maintenance period of 2 years and will get occasional releases
until 2015. Security fixes after that are not decided.