ESC meeting minutes: 2024-07-04

[Mike Kaganski]

On 04.07.2024 19:28, Stephan Bergmann wrote:
>    * Python on Windows 7 breakage (Ilmari):
>       - propose: remove Windows 7 support for 25.2, add to 24.8 release 
> notes? (Mike)
>       - unclear what's meant with "removing support" (Cloph)
>         + stating that it's unsupported is fine, but actively hindering 
> users from
>           using it is not (Cloph)
>       - reported minium requirement on our website currently is 7, would 
> bump to 8
>         https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/system-requirements/ (Heiko)
>       - Ilmari will take care of wording in release notes
>       - actively issue warnings (e.g. in installer)?  (Hossein)
>         - not necessary (Cloph)

Unfortunately, missed that it was going to be discussed today.
Removing support and bumping the baseline would mean effectively 
starting using the Windows API that is not available in Windows 7, and 
that means that the program simply won't start on Win7. And of course, 
the code would get cleaned from the kludges needed to support it; the 
installer's Windows update packages for Win7 would go. 
BCryptKeyDerivation.patch.1 would go. _WIN32_WINNT will be bumped, which 
will link newer functions. The change is not something that would still 
allow running on Win7.

-- 
Best regards,
Mike Kaganski