Update to a more recent version of Python

[dl1com]

Currently, AYAB-Desktop is depending on Python 3.6, which is no longer maintained. We should evaluate to update to a more recent version of Python. Target should be 3.11, but perhaps we have to triage the complications caused by updating our dependencies (see requirements.txt) and stick to a version in between 3.6 and 3.11 for now.

[t0mpr1c3]

What are the alternatives to fbs?

[dl1com]

What are the alternatives to fbs?

Don't know...but this might be a separate topic? I guess updating to a more recent version of Python a sensible thing to do, with or without fbs

[t0mpr1c3]

The freeware version of fbs constrains us to Python 3.6

[oskay]

Wow. That's really not good.

Python 3.6 is past even the lifetime of security updates. There is a sense in which it's irresponsible to build, package, and distribute software based on it.

Some discussions about this issue and alternatives here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30819136

[t0mpr1c3]

It isn't. But the issue has been raised a couple of times recently and I thought we had taken a decision to stick with freeware fbs for the time being.

[dl1com]

I continuously forget about the details of the constraints of fbs, sorry 😄 it's really a very unusual licensing model to me 🙃

So, as a soft target, in case somebody wants to try to run fbs on a higher Python version, feel free to do so. Apart from that we focus on getting AYAB 1.0 ready, although it will likely rely on Python 3.6 then.

After release of AYAB Desktop 1.0, we'll focus on the ESP32 webapp anyway. Additionally, we can look for fbs alternatives for AYAB then, so we don't need to abandon it completely (because it will become more and more tedious to rely on Python 3.6) and still can do bugfix releases.

[oskay]

it's really a very unusual licensing model to me

Yeah. The fbs version that supports python >3.6 is not open source.

My first reading is that even if it is technically allowed to release GPL software that has a commercial dependency, it's "worst practice" to do so-- a hobbyist wouldn't be able to make a small change to AYAB and compile a working version without purchasing a commercial license to do so.

[t0mpr1c3]

My first reading is that even if it is technically allowed to release GPL software that has a commercial dependency, it's "worst practice" to do so-- a hobbyist wouldn't be able to make a small change to AYAB and compile a working version without purchasing a commercial license to do so.

From the discussion a couple of months ago, I think we can say there is universal agreement on this point.

[t0mpr1c3]

So, as a soft target, in case somebody wants to try to run fbs on a higher Python version, feel free to do so. Apart from that we focus on getting AYAB 1.0 ready, although it will likely rely on Python 3.6 then.

How about 3.8? There was a security bugfix for Python 3.8 just last month. I believe it is also the base release for Ubuntu 20.04.

If we go this route we will have to revert to using a patched version of fbs. Which is fine by me.

[t0mpr1c3]

Just to note -- we previously rolled back from Python 3.7 to 3.6 for fbs compatibility (#389). Python 3.7 is also past its end-of-life.

[dl1com]

Just to note -- we previously rolled back from Python 3.7 to 3.6 for fbs compatibility (#389). Python 3.7 is also past its end-of-life.

Oh, I see...feels a bit like groundhog day. Let's hope for the best. Did you try fbs run and freeze locally with 3.8?

[t0mpr1c3]

No, I should try that on Windows and Ubuntu 20.04.

I think incremental changes are best. The further away we get from QtPy5==5.9, PyInstaller=3.4 the more problems we are likely to run into.

But it's encouraging that we didn't see any problems with Python 3.7, QtPy5==5.14.

[t0mpr1c3]

Python 3.8 end of life is in October, 2024.

[X-sam]

Updated to 3.11 in #572