[PATCH] docs: document python version used for compilation

[Mauro Carvalho Chehab]

Em Fri, 10 May 2024 11:08:38 +0300
Jani Nikula <jani.nikula at intel.com> escreveu:

> On Thu, 09 May 2024, Dmitry Baryshkov <dmitry.baryshkov at linaro.org> wrote:
> > The drm/msm driver had adopted using Python3 script to generate register
> > header files instead of shipping pre-generated header files. Document
> > the minimal Python version supported by the script.
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Dmitry Baryshkov <dmitry.baryshkov at linaro.org>
> > ---
> >  Documentation/process/changes.rst | 1 +
> >  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
> >
> > diff --git a/Documentation/process/changes.rst b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> > index 5685d7bfe4d0..8d225a9f65a2 100644
> > --- a/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> > +++ b/Documentation/process/changes.rst
> > @@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ cpio                   any              cpio --version
> >  GNU tar                1.28             tar --version
> >  gtags (optional)       6.6.5            gtags --version
> >  mkimage (optional)     2017.01          mkimage --version
> > +Python (optional)      3.5.x            python3 --version  
> 
> Python 3.5 reached end-of-life 3½ years ago [1]. What's the point in
> using anything older than the oldest supported version of Python,
> i.e. 3.8 at this time?

What's the point of breaking compilation with on older distros?
The idea of minimal versions here is to specify the absolute minimum
version that it is required for the build to happen. If 3.5 is
the minimal one, then be it.

-

Now, a criteria is needed to raise the minimal version. IMO, the
minimal version shall be at least the minimal one present on most
used LTS distros that are not EOL.

I would look for at least 4 such distros:

- Debian

  Looking at https://wiki.debian.org/LTS, Debian 10 EOL will be on
  June, 2024.

  Looking at:

	https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=debian

  Debian 10 uses python 3.7.3.

- Looking at Distrowatch for openSUSE Leap 15.5, it uses Python
  3.6.15 and has an EOL schedule for Dec, 2024.

- RHEL 8.9 uses a bigger version than those two - 3.11.5 - again
  looking at Distrowatch to check it.

- SLES 15 SP4 and above uses Python 3.11, according with:
  https://www.suse.com/c/python-3-11-stack-for-suse-linux-enterprise-15/

From the above, IMO kernel shall support building with Python 3.6 
at least until the end of this year.

Regards,
Mauro