Revision as of 14:24, 1 February 2018

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No more automagic Python bytecompilation

Summary

Owner

Name: Miro Hrončok
Email: mhroncok@redhat.com
Release notes owner:

Current status

Targeted release: Fedora 29
Last updated: 2018-02-01
Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>

Detailed Description

As for Fedora 28, all *.py files outside of the /usr/lib(64)?/pythonX.Y/ directories are bytecompiled by /usr/bin/python. This is overly magical and assumes several things (not always right):

all files named *.py are Python modules that need to be bytecompiled
when a file is not in /usr/lib(64)?/pythonX.Y/ it is intended for the /usr/bin/python interpreter
- That is currently Python 2, but may be removed or changed to Python 3 at any point in the future.
- This is only the default behavior, it can be changed by redefining %__python to:
  - python3: that currently happens in various packages and is documented in the guidelines as a way to do it
  - python2: nobody does that, because the magic "just works" for this use case - relying on the fact that /usr/bin/python is currently python2
    - that assumption is forbidden by the Python packaging guidelines, yet here it is heavily used

See Packaging:Python Appendix for more information (this links to specific revision because this change will change it).

Benefit to Fedora

Scope

Proposal owners:

Other developers: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Release engineering: #Releng issue number (a check of an impact with Release Engineering is needed)
- List of deliverables: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)