[mythtv] Ad ticket #13567: Revise dependencies for packaging

[Bill Meek]

On 2/2/20 6:47 AM, Paul Harrison wrote:
> On 29/01/2020 19:03, Roland Ernst wrote:
> 
>> I'd really like to have MythTV v31 for Debian/Ubuntu released
>> without dependencies to python2.
>>
>> Current situation:
>> The deb packages produced by 'ppa:mythbuntu/31' have dependencies
>> to python2 but do not install the MythTV Python Bindings for
>> python2, only for python3. Therefore, users do not have a working
>> solution for the MythTV Python Bindings with python2 out of the box.
>>
>> Since the release notes for MythTV v31 at
>> https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Release_Notes_-_31
>> marked python2 support as deprecated, is it enough to
>> provide a user-script that installs the Python Bindings for
>> python2 based on the already installed version for python3?
>>
>> This script could be placed on the wiki and linked from the
>> official release notes with a notification, like
>> "Debian/Ubuntu users still requiring python2 support need to
>> follow instructions on..."
>>
>> This script will extract the installed Python3 Bindings and
>> install it via "setup.py" for python2, either globally, or locally
>> for the current user. Even a "python virtual environment" setup
>> is possible in this case.
>>
>> I can provide this script, if agreed.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Roland
> 
> 
> Hi Roland,
> 
> 
> I've committed the patches from #13567 and last nights master builds have completed OK. Even Focal, which has been failing since python2 support 
> was removed in Focal a week or two ago, build OK :). Thanks Roland!
> 
> 
> As for the script Bill is probably the one to ask about that. My personal opinion is we should be encouraging users to switch to using the 
> python3 bindings, the latest  version of most/all? distros are going to remove support for python2 so they wont have much choice soon. Maybe add 
> your script to the wiki but make it clear it's only a short term solution that wont work in the near future?
> 
> 
> Paul H.

Hi Roland,

My initial attempt was to modify the Makefile for the Python bindings and have it detect
if v3 and v2 were available. Then run setup.py for discovered Python versions. I wasn't
successful.

So, I added this some time ago: https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Python3_Conversion#Install_both_sets_of_bindings
and it's linked to from the release notes. It only works for those building from source
though.

Roland, sounds like your script works for those not building from source. I think it
could live in the Python3_Conversion Wiki. If you don't have access to the Wiki
yet, email me a copy and I'll add it.

For most of the time during the conversion, I ran with both v3 and v2 installed.

As to my _deprecated_ comment in the release notes: I think it's still true. But
packagers make the decision. That way if there's a distro that doesn't support
v3, they can still choose v2.

I posted a "Heads up" in the -users list and on the Forum.

   https://lists.gt.net/mythtv/users/628768
   https://forum.mythtv.org/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3384

I got one and two responses respectively. Could mean it's not going to be an
issue, OR that folks are planning to work things out when the move to v31.

My concern was for folks with private or Wiki tools that need conversion (and may
simply stop working on v31.)

-- 
Bill