Timeline for python 2.7

[WindnFog]

Hi guys,

I engaged in the "upgrade to Python 3" battle several times, and every time I failed.  There are threads on here discussing my struggle as well as that by others.  Tom, Matthew, etc. all have had a lot of patience with me! :-)

I don't have the energy to try again, at least right now.  My configuration of weewx 4.1.1 is working fine with Python 2.7 under Debian based Raspberry Pi O/S on a Pi 4.   My system works well as it is, but experience has taught me you can't live in the past indefinitely.  i.e. I can't program in FTN4 on a HP 2100 anymore. :-)

All this preamble to ask:

What is the best guess when either Python 2.7 (depreciated) will disappear, or when weewx will no longer be available or supported for Python 2.7?

- Paul VE1DX

[Tom Keffer]

I thought we got your system running on Python 3 months ago? At least, when I do a search for your username, nothing recent shows up.

To answer your question: Python 2.7 is not going away anytime soon, but it will become increasingly risky to run, particularly on any machine that's not behind a secure firewall.

WeeWX will continue to support Python 2.7 for at least a few more years, but you might find fewer and fewer extensions supporting it.

-tk

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[p q]

I'm in a similar situation, except I haven't yet attempted moving to Python 3 yet. I've programmed in both and migrated some routines from 2 to 3 so it doesn't scare me. If I move and something doesn't work, I'll just fix it.

The main reason I haven't is that I want to do it the same time I upgrade the OS version. I'm still running on Stretch (linux 9) on a PI 2B+. At some point I'll bite the bullet and do the OS upgrade. I'm reluctant to do so not because of Weewx, but because of customized extras. I did a crappy job of documenting what I did early on so it's not going to be easy to find everything that I need to recreate.

Other than for updated security, there's no reason you can't run an old version for a very long time. If you're on an isolated system with little else of value and are not exposing your weather station to the web you can probably do this. I happily stayed on Weewx 3.7 for 4 years - I didn't need the features or bug fixes.

Instead of trying to move your system to python 3, have you thought about doing a clean install?  Another Raspi isn't expensive. Heck you do it with the same hardware and a spare SD card. Personally, I'd do it on a virtual machine that runs on my Windows laptop which costs exactly nothing. That's how I try new things now.

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Peter Quinn
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[WindnFog]

Sorry for the delay in responding, Tom.  You fellows were a great help in trying to resolve this some time ago.  I tried everything you suggested, but it was like playing whack-a-mole. The problem is not with weewx, but a combination with my O/S needing a fresh install, my index.html.tmpl file being too highly customized and many extensions.  I also had to recently switch web hosting companies and play with too many MX, A records, etc.  Simply put, too many things going on at once.  I'm in a somewhat similar situation as poster "p q."

I gave up after a week of trying and thanked you all for your help. I should have been clearer and said  I could not cut over to Python 3.  I decided Python 2.7 was good enough for now - because it works fine as is.  Your excellent instructions, in a recent thread below, are all any of us need.  I simply can't sort this out now, and I'm heartened to hear it will work for the short term with with Python 2.7.  Over the winter, I'll rebuild my O/S from scratch, switch everything to Python 3, port over my database, and move into the 21st century.  Again, thanks for everything.

- Paul VE1DX