python / python/mypy

Drop support for 32-bit platforms?

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#19,786 5 comments 2 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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feature topic-developer
Dominant language
Python
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Description

32-bit platforms seem pretty much obsolete (outside of embedded, which we don't actively support). There is no 32-bit version of Windows 11, and Windows 10 will reach EOL soon. All new desktop processors have been 64-bit for well over a decade now.

Does anybody have evidence that a non-trivial number of users are still using 32-bit platforms?

If we decide to move forward with this, we can start with not running CI on 32-bit platforms and updating documentation to not say that 32-bit platforms are supported (not sure if we ever make this explicit).

We can still keep the existing level of support in mypyc, in case somebody wants to maintain it in the future. If at some point there hasn't been any interest in fixing issues on 32-bit platforms for 6 months, we can think about removing all existing support.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Review the existing CI configuration and documentation for references to 32-bit platform support, and examine mypyc support separately. Gather evidence about current 32-bit users before deciding whether CI and documentation should change; done means the support decision and resulting scope are clearly recorded.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
devtools
Issue type
Refactor
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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