Time To Say Goodbye To Python 2

The Python version 2.x is soon reaching the end of it’s lifecycle. The last release of this Python version will be published Mid of April 2020 (https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0373/), thus in less than three weeks. After this date Python 2 will not get any updates, not even for security reasons.

If a software is using Python 2 and not using only a Python 2 supported by a Linux distribution, it’s time to move forward to Python 3 and publish a new release for this switch. If a software project especially targeted to enduser is not able to do this switch at least to the end of April 2020 (or short after this date), the software should not delivered anymore and the user of the software should be informed accordingly. If there is an suitable alternative to the software the user should be pointed to that alternative.

Today I looked into the source code repository of a well known open source software for office worker and it seemed this software (Apache OpenOffice) is using only Python 2.7.x (see http://openoffice-vm1-he-de.apache.org/xref/aoo418/main/python/) and has not been upgraded to Python 3. In contrast the other succesor of OpenOffice.org , LibreOffice, has been ported to Python 3 for some time. Thus the Python bindings of this open source software is more up-to-date and the use of LibreOffice secure and forward-looking. If the open source project Apache OpenOffice will not be able to publish a new release with Python 3 bindings at least at the beginning of May 2020, the software should not be delivered anymore and the current user should be informed accordingly with a link to the successful and vibrant successor.