Awesome! Does anyone know if that means that "python" is python 3 then? Or do they still use 2 for "python" and just add eg a new binary named "python3" by default?

"python" is still Python 2, and will be for the foreseeable future. Python 3 is, as you guessed, a separate binary called "python3".

If its only coming with 3.2.3 it will break many existing tools.(think django)

If you see MAC, it does come with lower versions of python too, so it supports older python projects.(python2.7, python2.5 based and doesn't break the system)

Latest Ubuntu might well come even with lower versions of python too - as many Ubuntu apps and tools itself use the lower versions of python. But the default python will be 3.2.3

To use the right version of python we have to -

Manually install older versions if it doesn't have one.

And do symbolic Linking the installed versions to /usr/bin and set $PATH appropriately for the correct Python version we need. Just use them as python2.7 python2.5 python2.6 while calling your scripts.

Also see virtualenv.

I run a django based website, and this upgrade didn't break anything. "/usr/bin/python" still refers to Python 2.X instead of Python 3.X.

It will still be really easy to have Python 2 & 3 installed side by side, and "python" will still be Python 2. So you don't need to do any symlinking or messing with $PATH.

I think Ars misunderstood, as well: 12.10 has both Python 2 and 3 by default. They're working towards dropping Python 2 from the default install, but it's not there yet. When they do, it will just be an "apt-get install python" away.

Python 2.x is still available, this just means it's not installed by default.

cf. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QuantalQuetzal/TechnicalOverview/Bet...

"Python 2 will continue to be available (as the python package) for the foreseeable future. However, to best support future versions of Ubuntu you should consider porting your code to Python 3."

No it won't have any impact, since "/usr/bin/python" still refers to Python 2.X by default.

Obi says it best:

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

Are individual users still dependent on python2 on the desktop? I thought people were supposed to migrate years ago, and automated tools did most of the work.

I don't know. I wish I did, because then I wouldn't have made the afore comment. :/. It would not surprise me to find the occasional tool that still relies on it. As does my entire scientific library, unfortunately...