Re: [PATCH] [gdb/python] Use PyConfig for python 3.9

["Arsen Arsenović" <arsen@aarsen.me>]

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Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

> If we are going that low in our discussion level, then I submit that
> you could have easily avoided the waste of those milliwatts by not
> writing that email.

Yes, that is true.

>> Frankly, a Windows XP machine that has enough networking hardware to
>> download the next release of GDB is likely a massive liability in the
>> first place.  Hopefully none are still connected to the internet.
>
> There are still a lot of systems running XP in the world.  So not
> dropping support of XP has some advantages for our users, not just
> disadvantages.

Yes, I'm aware.  I mentioned this in the previous post.

I highly doubt that a non-margin-of-error number of GDB users are on XP.

As I said, I suspect nearly all active XP machines aren't used
interactively (think XP Embedded, "smart" signs, ATM machines, ...).
Those that are, IME (in underfunded public education, for instance) tend
to not be connected to networks.  Of those, only a fraction is used for
development, and usually provides era-appropriate tools (which tend not
to be GNU).

Obviously, this is an anecdote, but it serves as an example.

Unfortunately, as we don't collect telemetry (note: not saying that this
is a bad thing), we can't provide a statistical judgement here, and so
anecdotes are the best we have.

Are you aware of any users of Windows XP?  Do you know why they still
use it?  Do you know if they do software updates, and whether their
machines are networked (and, if so, please advise them to airgap or
update them)?

Also, other development tools already don't work on XP, Python being a
good example from this very thread.

> The GNU Project, being a Free Software project, has the advantage of
> not following the lead of the likes of Microsoft in our decisions
> whether or not we want to help people who use those systems.  I
> thought it was evident, perhaps even perceived as a virtue, but maybe
> not.

This does not contradict my thesis, which is that there are no (or
exceedingly few) users being helped, only developers impeded.

I'd not be surprised if more patches have been impeded on this basis
than users helped.
-- 
Arsen Arsenović

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