Python in Linux - barrier to Python 3.x

Tue Sep 21 09:03:35 EDT 2010

Ant wrote:
> I've just seen this: http://sheddingbikes.com/posts/1285063820.html
>> Whatever you think of Zed Shaw (author of the Mongrel Ruby server and
> relatively recent Python convert), he has a very good point in this. I
> run Fedora 12 on my home computers, and find it far too much hassle to
> try to get Python 3 installed. Even the 2.x's are behind - IIRC think
> it currently uses 2.5.

Once you remove the Zedshawisms the article's claim boils down to
- If you want to install and run a python script on a wide range of Linux 
distributions you have to stay compatible with Python 2.4.
- Users of languages competing with Python tend to avoid applications that 
use Python, even if that usage is mostly under the hood -- but they don't 
mind using a program written in C.
> So I really think this is a barrier to entry to Python 3 that we could
> do without - it's the only reason I do all of my Python work in 2.x, I
> would jump at migrating to Python 3 if it was easily available on
> Fedora.
>> Is there a solution to this that anyone knows of? 

More practical people than Zed (or his online persona) don't see it as a 
problem.
> Has Zed jumped to conclusions? 

He jumped indeed, to another language, and he will do it again, but not 
without telling the world.
> Have I?

I think migration from 2.x to 3.x will be hard for large infrastructures but 
that doesn't seem to be your concern.
Peter
PS: Is the Paul Graham quote real?