[FQuest Notice] Python 2.7 Upgrade

[Bruce]

When: Feb 29, 2012
Who: Only affecting users of Python

FutureQuest is upgrading the default system Python2 binary to Python 2.7.2 in order to make available the many new features of the latest Python release.

While we are very excited to be able to offer the latest version of Python, this change has the potential to break scripts currently in use.

Please review the changes and potential issues with Python 2.7. Note that the current version of Python2 at FutureQuest is Python 2.6.4. The release notes for version 2.7 can be found here.

FutureQuest is providing this lead time for testing scripts to ensure that they are compatible with Python 2.7 and for making any necessary changes before the currently available Python 2.6 interpreter is removed and replaced with the newer version.

The Python 2.7.2 interpreter is on the servers NOW and is available for you to test your scripts.

The new Python 2.7.2 interpreter is located at
/usr/bin/python2.7

On Feb 29th the /usr/bin/python2 link will be changed to point to the new Python 2.7.2 interpreter. (It currently points to the Python 2.6.4 interpreter.)

On pre-Genesis systems, the Python 1.5.2 interpreter is still available at
/usr/bin/python

...

NOTE To users of the scripts POPpass, RespondMGR and Batch Confirm, which are scripts provided by FutureQuest:

These scripts as previously distributed have a minor incompatibility with Python 2.7 that may result in warnings presented to users of the scripts. This results from the use of the popen2 and md5 modules, which have now been deprecated in favor of the subprocess and hashlib modules respectively. We have updated the currently available copies of these scripts to be compatible with both the current Python 2.6 and the upcoming Python 2.7.

Here are the specifics:

The POPpass file used for changing POP passwords without access to the CNC is available for download here: http://service.FutureQuest.net/kba65

The ConfirmSub.py file for running batch subscriber confirmations is available for download here: http://service.FutureQuest.net/kba404

The RespondMGR file for managing Autoresponders without access to the CNC is available for download here: http://service.FutureQuest.net/kba56