[Info-vax] VSI Python 3.8.2 port, with a OpenVMS Shark Logo...

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 11/23/2020 12:24 PM, Jean-François Piéronne wrote:
> Le 23/11/2020 à 17:27, Craig A. Berry a écrit :
>>> I find it more noteworthy that JFP has a Python 3.10 available for IA64
>>> since some time back (this summer) while the VSI version is currently on
>>> 3.9 or 3.8.6.
>>
>> JFP's work is exemplary but 3.10 is still in pre-release and really
>> should not be used in production.  VSI's release of 3.8.2 is pretty much
>> in line with what other vendors are doing, assuming they have even moved
>> to Python 3.
> 
> I have tough, but clearly that was a dream, that VSI will look at what
> customers are using... Instead they choose to work alone without any
> interest for what customers need. Some have big Python application on
> VMS, The VSI kit break a lot of thing and worse doesn't allow what they
> use/need. And yes as I have ported Python on VMS for more 15 (20?) years
> I know many of them...
> 
> I have explain why 3.10, for sure I can build a 3.8, probably 3.9 which
> is the latest version. But as VSI doesn't provide access to their port I
> doesn't like to do again a job already done,

I think it is natural and common for an open source product to
have both an open source latest and greatest version and a
very stable supported by the OS vendor version.

But the two being independent is not good. Sources should be shared.

I am not familiar with Python development practice, but ideally
VMS changes should go into standard Python and everybody working
on them whether VSI or volunteers should push their updates
to the master tree. And everybody can make a build producing the
same Python. Only difference being the different installer
and the VSI version being officially supported.

Same applies to the modules. They should work with both an
open source latest and greatest build and with the VSI build
(assuming they are supported on the Python version of the
VSI build).

And even though I see the benefits of your distribution approach of
bundling Python with a bunch of modules, then I think the
right way to move forward is to get VMS Python users to
use pip (and all the modules being available via pip).

>                                             and I have had meeting with
> some current Python users on VMS, some are still using 2.5, one 2.3...
> So no hurry to go to 3.

I think we should suggest they do hurry.

Long term either one plan on upgrading or one plan on migrating off.

It is better if people plan on upgrading their VMS systems than they
plan on migrating off their VMS systems.

Arne