Re: [gpsd-dev] Update on Python Version Compatibility

[Fred Wright]

On Tue, 29 Mar 2016, Fred Wright wrote:

> Currently, I have both C extensions ostensibly working with Python 3, but
> fake.py still needs work in the str vs. bytes area (previously untestable
> without 'packet').

My original thought was to plaster enough polystr and polybytes calls into
it to make it work, and then use the info about where they were needed as
input to deciding where the conversions really belonged.  But that
approach was going too far down the rabbit hole, so I backed off on that
and fixed most of the other stuff that needed it instead.

At this point, everything but gpsfake is working with Python 3.  That
doesn't mean that all the issues are in gpsfake itself; it just means that
it's in code which is only used by gpsfake (of the supplied programs).
The two remaining pieces are the str vs. bytes stuff, and a "target
Python" option in the build script so that you can build for something
other than the scons Python.

After a couple of minor tweaks, Python 3.2 is now OK as well.  I think
3.0 and 3.1 aren't even worth considering.

Everything so far is in the python3 branch in my GitHub, and can be seen
here:

        https://github.com/fhgwright/gpsd/compare/master...python3

Note that the ellipsis gadgets next to the commit summaries are toggles to
see the full commit messages, and that the commit IDs are links to
single-commit diffs.

Expect that branch to be rebased as needed.

Fred Wright