[Bug 1888063] [NEW] Python install mess

Sat Jul 18 16:09:36 UTC 2020

Public bug reported:

NOTE: I have no idea what the latest version of Python is. I never chose
what version to install. Python was installed on my system as a
dependency because of installing something else. I barely know what pip
is (sort of to python what npm is to javascript or what composer is to
php, right?) and I only pip-install'ed stuff I needed to use.

So, after upgrading from Ubuntu 16.04 to 20.04 I was trying to get
TortoiseHg to work (https://foss.heptapod.net/mercurial/tortoisehg/thg/)
and when attempting to install a pip module that seemed not to be
installed, I saw this error issued by pip:

DEPRECATION: Python 2.7 reached the end of its life on January 1st, 2020. Please upgrade your Python as Python 2.7 is no longer maintained. pip 21.0 will drop support for Python 2.7 in January 2021. More details about Python 2 support in pip, can be found at https://pip.pypa.io/en/latest/development/release-process/#python-2-support

So, without knowing anything, that suggests that my version of python is age-old.

That's annoying to start with. Why didn't Ubuntu keep it up to date?

Anyway, I tried:

$ sudo apt-get install python

I know I don't know anything. I'd expect this to be a starting point to
figure out what I need to do.

This was the output:
$ ubuntu-bug install python
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Note, selecting 'python-is-python2' instead of 'python'
python-is-python2 is already the newest version (2.7.17-4).

So, again without knowing anything, this seems to tell me that I already
have the latest version of python.

By doing more research I see the latest version is 3.something, and I
see there is also a python-is-python3 package.

I don't know what this python-is-pythonN mess is about. I suspect maybe
version 3 had critical breaking changes, so if I have version
2.something installed apt can't just upgrade to version 3 transparently
without breaking things. But then I'd expect it to give me some hint.

Since you went through all the trouble of creating packages called
python-is-python2 and python-is-python3, and even automatically
"translating" 'python' to 'python-is-python2', it shouldn't be too much
to ask, that the output of the above commands gave me some hint along
the lines of "Python3 is available. More information here:
......................."

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: python-is-python2 2.7.17-4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-40.44-generic 5.4.44
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-40-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.3
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: X-Cinnamon
Date: Sat Jul 18 17:54:10 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-11 (2471 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: what-is-python
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to focal on 2020-07-12 (5 days ago)

** Affects: what-is-python (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Tags: amd64 apport-bug focal third-party-packages

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1888063

Title:
  Python install mess

Status in what-is-python package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  NOTE: I have no idea what the latest version of Python is. I never
  chose what version to install. Python was installed on my system as a
  dependency because of installing something else. I barely know what
  pip is (sort of to python what npm is to javascript or what composer
  is to php, right?) and I only pip-install'ed stuff I needed to use.

  So, after upgrading from Ubuntu 16.04 to 20.04 I was trying to get
  TortoiseHg to work
  (https://foss.heptapod.net/mercurial/tortoisehg/thg/) and when
  attempting to install a pip module that seemed not to be installed, I
  saw this error issued by pip:

  DEPRECATION: Python 2.7 reached the end of its life on January 1st, 2020. Please upgrade your Python as Python 2.7 is no longer maintained. pip 21.0 will drop support for Python 2.7 in January 2021. More details about Python 2 support in pip, can be found at https://pip.pypa.io/en/latest/development/release-process/#python-2-support

  So, without knowing anything, that suggests that my version of python is age-old.

  That's annoying to start with. Why didn't Ubuntu keep it up to date?

  Anyway, I tried:

  $ sudo apt-get install python

  I know I don't know anything. I'd expect this to be a starting point
  to figure out what I need to do.

  This was the output:
  $ ubuntu-bug install python
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree       
  Reading state information... Done
  Note, selecting 'python-is-python2' instead of 'python'
  python-is-python2 is already the newest version (2.7.17-4).

  So, again without knowing anything, this seems to tell me that I
  already have the latest version of python.

  By doing more research I see the latest version is 3.something, and I
  see there is also a python-is-python3 package.

  I don't know what this python-is-pythonN mess is about. I suspect
  maybe version 3 had critical breaking changes, so if I have version
  2.something installed apt can't just upgrade to version 3
  transparently without breaking things. But then I'd expect it to give
  me some hint.

  Since you went through all the trouble of creating packages called
  python-is-python2 and python-is-python3, and even automatically
  "translating" 'python' to 'python-is-python2', it shouldn't be too
  much to ask, that the output of the above commands gave me some hint
  along the lines of "Python3 is available. More information here:
  ......................."

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
  Package: python-is-python2 2.7.17-4
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-40.44-generic 5.4.44
  Uname: Linux 5.4.0-40-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.3
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
  CurrentDesktop: X-Cinnamon
  Date: Sat Jul 18 17:54:10 2020
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-11 (2471 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: what-is-python
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to focal on 2020-07-12 (5 days ago)

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