Runtime · archived
Python
Python 2.7 reached end-of-life
left 1 Jan 2020
Quick answers
- Is it true that Python 2 end-of-life?
- Yes — and the date has already passed (1 Jan 2020). No more bug fixes, security patches, or improvements to Python 2 from the core team.
- When did it take effect?
- 1 Jan 2020 (already passed). Verified against the vendor's own announcement.
- What should I use instead?
- Move to Python 3.
What this means for you
No more bug fixes, security patches, or improvements to Python 2 from the core team. Anything still on 2.7 runs unmaintained; new CVEs will not be fixed upstream.
Where to go
Move to Python 3. The 2to3 tool and the compatibility notes in the porting guide cover most mechanical changes; the harder work is usually str/bytes handling and dependencies that dropped 2.x support.
- Python 3.x (the supported line)
The Python core team set 1 January 2020 as the hard stop after more than a decade of warnings and one extension. It is the canonical example of a well-run sunset: a fixed date, announced far in advance, held firm — which is exactly why so much tooling finally moved.
Entry changelog
- — last reviewed.
- — Entry created (historical reference).
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