14 DAY TRIAL // Ubuntu developers usually plan beyond what they are working on at any particular moment, and it looks like they are finally taking an important decision regarding the presence of Python 2 libraries and dependencies, which might be solved for the Ubuntu 15.10 launch.
Python 3 was first released all the way back in 2008, which is almost seven years ago, but we still have applications that make use of the old Python 2.x. Moving apps from Python 2 to Python 3 dependencies is a difficult process, and it seems to take developers years to make the necessary adjustments. Now, Ubuntu devs are looking to finally make the switch in their operating system, starting with the 15.10 branch.
Ubuntu 15.10 doesn't even have a name yet, but that doesn't mean that developers can't make plans for it. From the looks of it, the wheels are turning, and things are in motion for the Python 3 switch. Because so many years have passed since the release of the new branch, it's unlikely that developers will have any major issues with this decision.
It's not an easy thing to, not even after so many years
Ubuntu devs had some problems with Python dependencies a while back when they phased out an older version of the 2.x branch, and some applications didn't work anymore, but that shouldn't happen now. Even so, the transition won't be completely painless, and some bugs are expected to appear, although there's more than enough time to fix everything.
"Before leaving for PyCon and with 15.04 beta2 released, I had a look at removing Python2 from the desktop images. We are not there yet, but it looks promising and realistic to achieve for 15.10," noted Matthias Klose on the official mailing list.
Ubuntu 15.10 should arrive later this year, in October, and Ubuntu 15.04 is scheduled to launch in just a few weeks, on April 23.