Do we still need to build OpenSSL/Python on Linux/Mac?

[ne-bbahn]

We spent a great deal of time adjusting the installation processes on Linux/Mac/Windows to build Python with OpenSSL 3. Python 3.11+ (and maybe soon 3.8-3.10 if the MR I was looking at goes through) is now bundled with OpenSSL 3. I rewrote my custom Windows build such that it no longer downloads/builds OpenSSL or Python because it no longer needs to. Do we still need to build it on Linux and Mac?

Building OpenSSL takes three and a half eternities to build and if we don't actually need to build OpenSSL/Python anymore I think we should either:

• Remove the building of OpenSSL/Python and if people want Python 3.0-3.7, they'll have to deal with OpenSSL 1.1.1t or
• Add the option to build just NCPA or to build OpenSSL/Python/NCPA

[ne-bbahn]

Removing custom build stuff entirely:

+ Pros:

• Cleaner
• Less maintenance
• Less confusion
• simpler install

- Cons:

• Users can't have OpenSSL if they want Python 3.0-3.7 (or 3.8-3.10 before the CPython team finishes their PR)

Giving the option

+ Pros:

• Users can have Python 3.0-3.7 with OpenSSL 3

- Cons:

• More complicated
• Requires maintenance
• Extra install steps

As a compromise we could alter the build such that it no longer downloads/builds OpenSSL/Python, but just commenting out the old code for building OSSL/Python. I don't think we need to support Python 3.0-3.7, but there is the chance that some crazy person out there might want to try to get it to work with Windows 7 and still wants OpenSSL 3. Tbh I'm not sure if it's possible to do such a build without significant modification to the underlying libraries, but that's the only scenario I see in which it would make sense to keep the OpenSSL/Python building.