[OTAS-Planning]Modern Software Versions

[Brian Butcher]

What software versions should we use for OTAS?

In particular if we use Python for possible eventual OTAS use which version?

Python 2.4 is becoming ready for use. If I use Python 2.4 there is no need to
use a 3rd party module for ISO8601 times on Windows platforms. It also offers
superior logging.

Also I've found a greatly improved way of launching 'quakerpt', but it's only
possibly multiplatform with python 2.4

Python 2.3 is the default version on most up to date linux packages.

From what I have read I suspect Mac may use Python 2.2. ( 'python -V' returns
version number)

I'm inclined to go for the most modern, on the basis that Python 2.4 will have
become obsolescent before OTAS publishes anything.

Any comments anyone?

Brian

[Ben Middleton]

macs use python 2.3:
$ python -V
Python 2.3

(since os x 10.3; prior to 10.3 I don't think they came with python
bundled)

I'd have thought any linux users would probably be technically savvy
enough to install new python versions. The same may or may not apply
to mac os x users, but given that there aren't that many of us,
relatively speaking, it may not matter. Plus given the relative
popularity of python amongst mac developers, I suspect that new
versions will be bundled with the OS fairly soon after they are adopted
by the world at large. Also, python doesn't come as standard on
windows installs (at least I assume it doesn't), so any windows users
will have to install it anyway.

As a result, why not use the most modern version?

One thing to consider is that if someone is trying to run an OTAS
component on borrowed hardware (e.g. an academic unix machine), they
may not have permissions to install a new python version. However,
I'd have thought in these circumstances they should probably get the
administrator's permission before installing OTAS anyway so perhaps it
doesn't matter.

re windows - are we expecting windows users to run one of these
python-based OTAS components? If so that could be a barrier to
adoption (having to install python, I mean).

Ben

Post by Brian Butcher
What software versions should we use for OTAS?
In particular if we use Python for possible eventual OTAS use which version?
Python 2.4 is becoming ready for use. If I use Python 2.4 there is no need to
use a 3rd party module for ISO8601 times on Windows platforms. It also offers
superior logging.
Also I've found a greatly improved way of launching 'quakerpt', but it's only
possibly multiplatform with python 2.4
Python 2.3 is the default version on most up to date linux packages.

[Janzert]

Ben Middleton wrote:
[snip]

Post by Ben Middleton
re windows - are we expecting windows users to run one of these
python-based OTAS components? If so that could be a barrier to adoption
(having to install python, I mean).
Ben

py2exe works fairly nice for windows distribution to the general public.
It creates a self-contained executable distribution for windows.

I believe there is a mac equivalent project as well (py2app maybe?),
although that's probably less important if python is already pre-installed.

Janzert