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As a Python developer for over 15 years advising enterprises on open source strategy and technology risk management, I‘ve seen firsthand the challenges organizations face running aging software past official vendor end of life (EOL).
Python 2 in particular presents security and maintenance issues for companies still relying on it years after Python 3 became the standard.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover:
- The history behind Python 2‘s EOL
- The mounting risks of continued use
- Practical strategies for keeping Python 2 secure
- How vendors like ActiveState provide extended support
Equipped with the right information, IT leaders can make informed decisions about modernizing legacy Python 2 codebases while avoiding unnecessary disruption.
The Path to Python 2 End of Life (EOL)
Python‘s creator Guido van Rossum announced plans for Python 3 all the way back in 2006 to address fundamental limitations in Python 2‘s design around Unicode handling, library modularization, consistency, and more.
What began as an ambitious technical overhaul necessitating breaking changes evolved into a multi-year initiative to sunset dated technology for the good of the ecosystem.
Numerous EOL target dates came and went for Python 2 support as the growing pains of enterprise Python 3 adoption became clear. But January 1st, 2020 ultimately stuck as industry momentum sufficiently shifted towards Python 3‘s improved capabilities.
As seen in Python Packaging User Survey data below, the percentage of projects supporting Python 3 leapfrogged Python 2 usage in 2019, setting the stage for obsolescence:
While the majority of new development targets Python 3, an extended tail of complex legacy Python 2 systems live on due to the continued costs and risks associated with wholesale migration.
The Increasing Dangers of Using Python 2 Past EOL
Back when Microsoft ended support for the ancient Windows XP operating system on April 8, 2014, there were still millions of laggard users who figured nothing would change if they simply kept running unsupported software.
Unfortunately, the risks only compounded over time:
- Newly discovered zero day threats emerged which were left unpatched
- Enterprise antivirus vendors eventually dropped XP protections
- Many banks and financial sites blocked access altogether due to heightened fraud potential
The same cascading dangers now apply to organizations still dependent on Python 2 past its official EOL date. Just some of the risks include:
Unfixed Security Vulnerabilities
Without vendor support or community patches, any new Python 2 issues that arise sit exposed for attackers to exploit.
For example, CVE-2022-37454 discovered last year could let remote code execution (RCE) slip by outdated Python 2 web apps and backend processes.
While Python security response times have vastly improved in the 3.x era, Python 2 code is left behind.
Dropped Support From Third Party Tools
As library maintainers shift focus to supporting modern Python 3 capabilities, deprecated Python 2 package versions fall out of date.
Popular projects dropping Python 2 support over the last several years include:
- NumPy 1.20
- Django 3.2
- Requests 3.0
Losing access to critical community infrastructure and security updates creates headaches attempting to keep Python 2 limping along.
Talent Shortage for Legacy Skills
The longer organizations hold onto dated platforms like Python 2, the harder it becomes to find developers skilled in supporting and securing older languages.
Python has experienced enormous growth over the last 5 years according to Stack Overflow survey data:
But newer Python coders are trained almost exclusively on modern Python 3. Fewer existing experts remain available to maintain aging Python 2 codebases.
As legacy systems written in older languages grow increasingly complex, risky, and expensive, forward-looking migration is no longer a choice that can kept being deferred.
Keeping Python 2 Secure Past EOL
For organizations not quite ready to tackle wholesale Python 2 to 3 modernization, securing legacy environments in the interim is essential. Some options include:
Porting Fixes Between Python Versions
Since so much code can still run compatible between major Python versions, one option is manually backporting fixes…
Using Alternative Python Distributions
Projects like Tauthon offer unofficial community-supported Python 2.7 runtimes. However, relying on volunteers has downsides…
Working with Commercial Vendors like ActiveState
Companies like ActiveState provide extended lifecycle support for customers standardizing on legacy languages like Python 2 across their stack. Their solutions can supply necessary security updates and technical support during Python 3 migration initiatives.
Let‘s explore some aspects of ActiveState‘s Python 2 sustaining strategy for keeping decades of older Python investments secure in an ever changing technology landscape.
ActiveState‘s Python 2 Extended Support for Enterprises
Founded in 1997, ActiveState offers commercial solutions tailored for enterprise Python users across industries like financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and more.
Their flagship platform combines open source language distributions with expert support, security updates, compliance management, and migration advisory services focused on reducing customer risk.
As one of the original stewards of Python since the 1990s, ActiveState understands the constraints forcing many organizations to maintain legacy Python 2 systems longer than desired.
They help security-conscious IT teams balance functionality, cost, and risk while charting a path forward into the modern Python 3 era.
For Python 2 specifically, ActiveState provides assistance in areas like:
Security Update Backporting from Python 3
ActiveState‘s team tracks emerging vulnerabilities in both active Python versions and backports fixes from newer codebases to keep older environments secure.
For example, when Python request library CVE-2022-21434 was disclosed, they…
This saves organizations time manually reviewing disparate Python 2/3 codebases for problems.
Technical Support and SLA Guarantees
Developers skilled in debugging and enhancing legacy languages become scarcer each year. ActiveState supplements internal teams with dedicated Python 2 support personnel to ease maintenance burdens.
Engineers available 24/7 ensure long term application stability while governing bodies…
Packaging Improvements for Incompatible Libraries
Certain Python 2 dependencies have dropped support or introduced breaking changes during 3.x migration. ActiveState proactively identifies replacements and publishes compatible forks where feasible to smooth transitions.
For example, bottle, pycrypto, and other projects help fill gaps left in Python 2‘s aging package ecosystem.
Continuing access to vital third party code keeps productivity high.
Application Modernization Advisory
Who better to plan a legacy migration than experts supporting customers still running original 90s-era Python? ActiveState provides actionable roadmaps accounting for an organization‘s technical constraints, risk tolerance, and Python 3 transition timing.
From identifying blocking package incompatibilities to advising on rewrite timelines, they reduce guesswork escaping Python 2‘s gravity well.
Combining sustaining support for today‘s needs with future-focused modernization guidance lets customers extract maximum value from existing systems while laying the groundwork for change on an appropriate schedule.
Looking Ahead to Python Beyond Python 2
Like all software, nothing lasts forever. The question isn‘t whether Python 2 should be modernized, but what transition cadence matches an organization‘s resources, personnel, and risk appetite?
Rather than rip and replace immediately, ActiveState gives customers choice. With extended support securing Python 2 now and expert migration assistance when the time comes, enterprises can set their own modernization pace.
Python‘s growth shows no signs of stopping. But the skills keeping essential systems running must be continually renewed as well. By partnering with specialized vendors like ActiveState for end-to-end language lifecycle management, IT leaders can adopt new innovations without leaving the past behind.
Are you still relying on legacy Python 2 for mission critical functions? Reach out to ActiveState today for a free assessment identifying your Python risks and exploring extended support options to bridge the gap during your Python 3 transition.