[vbox-dev] Would it be possible to create a python3 bindings for VBox?

Discussion:

Alexey Eromenko

2014-09-29 22:05:46 UTC

The problem is -- upstream GNS3 v1.0 has moved to python3,
and intends to drop python2 bindings for VBox, and use VBoxManage instead.

It would help us, if VirtualBox could support python3.

http://forum.gns3.net/topic12204.html

--
-Alexey Eromenko "Technologov"

Frank Mehnert

2014-09-30 06:48:15 UTC

Permalink

Hi Alexey,

Post by Alexey Eromenko
The problem is -- upstream GNS3 v1.0 has moved to python3,
and intends to drop python2 bindings for VBox, and use VBoxManage instead.
It would help us, if VirtualBox could support python3.
http://forum.gns3.net/topic12204.html

I think that's a great opportunity for an external code contribution. At the
moment and in the near future the Oracle VirtualBox team has no resources to
work on Python 3 bindings.

Kind regards,

Frank
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Klaus Espenlaub

2014-10-06 15:44:52 UTC

Permalink

Hi Alexey,

Post by Frank Mehnert
Hi Alexey,

I think that's a great opportunity for an external code contribution. At the
moment and in the near future the Oracle VirtualBox team has no resources to
work on Python 3 bindings.

In fact there is already a pending contribution, see Ilya Kulakov's mail
from April:
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.emulators.virtualbox.devel/6710

The problem with integrating this contribution is that it needs more
time than we have to test it for regressions with the zoo of (always
slightly incompatible) python 2.x versions starting with 2.3. Breaking
the "bread and butter" 2.5-2.7 is simply not an option, which is why
we're hesitating until someone can do the re-validation.

Cheers,
Klaus

Post by Frank Mehnert
Kind regards,
Frank

Alexey Eromenko

2014-10-06 16:47:57 UTC

Permalink

Why python 2.3 ?

The oldest supported host is RHEL5, so perhaps we should target python
v2.4.x + ?
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=redhat

I suggest dropping python 2.3.x support from VirtualBox 4.4.+

Also, for me, building on RHEL 5 host is next-to-impossible due to
loads of missing dependencies (Qt4), but RHEL6 or Debian 6 are more
realistic (targetting python 2.6.x).
Would that be good ?

Alternatively: could you use your builders to provide me with RHEL5
x64 build of python3.x-patched VBox (non-main, but side-branch), so I
test python 2.4 ? (please use multi-distro installer, so I could try
other host distros also)

-Technologov

Sérgio Basto

2014-10-06 16:53:42 UTC

Permalink

Post by Alexey Eromenko
Why python 2.3 ?

not 2.3 but Python 3.3.2

Post by Alexey Eromenko
The oldest supported host is RHEL5, so perhaps we should target python
v2.4.x + ?
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=redhat
I suggest dropping python 2.3.x support from VirtualBox 4.4.+
Also, for me, building on RHEL 5 host is next-to-impossible due to
loads of missing dependencies (Qt4), but RHEL6 or Debian 6 are more
realistic (targetting python 2.6.x).
Would that be good ?
Alternatively: could you use your builders to provide me with RHEL5
x64 build of python3.x-patched VBox (non-main, but side-branch), so I
test python 2.4 ? (please use multi-distro installer, so I could try
other host distros also)
-Technologov
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Alexey Eromenko

2014-10-06 17:01:35 UTC

Permalink

3.3.x will also need to be tested, ofc.

But Klaus speaks about testing older v2.3.x... up to v2.7.x.

I have holidays in Israel, starting in 2 days, for a week, and so will
have a week to test.
I have all kinds of Intel hosts here, ranging from Intel Atom to Intel
Core 2 to the newest Intel Haswell 4th gen Core i7.
(VT-x+EPT+VT-d+unrestricted VMX+...)
+newest OSes (CentOS7 + Debian Linux 8 BETA + Windows 10 BETA+
openSUSE Linux 13.2 BETA)

--
-Alexey Eromenko "Technologov"

Klaus Espenlaub

2014-10-06 17:17:14 UTC

Permalink

Post by Alexey Eromenko
Why python 2.3 ?

Because it's the oldest which ever worked, I think with RHEL4U1 or so.
Note that the older ones aren't as high priority, as long as 2.5 - 2.7
have been tested.

Support is a bit too strong - it's just known working, not frequently
used :)

Post by Alexey Eromenko
Also, for me, building on RHEL 5 host is next-to-impossible due to
loads of missing dependencies (Qt4), but RHEL6 or Debian 6 are more
realistic (targetting python 2.6.x).
Would that be good ?

That'd work - it's only one data point, but building VirtualBox
everywhere is definitely challenging. We spend quite some time to find
working Qt4 etc. packages.

Post by Alexey Eromenko
Alternatively: could you use your builders to provide me with RHEL5
x64 build of python3.x-patched VBox (non-main, but side-branch), so I
test python 2.4 ? (please use multi-distro installer, so I could try
other host distros also)

That's doable, too. Hope later this week or so I can help. The problem
with the multi-distro installer and python is that there's only one
binary per version, and python 2.x is world famous for an infinitely
incompatible ABI between even linux distros. Definitely only useful in a
before/after comparison, because there might be existing breakages
already. Only the distro specific packages are really guaranteed to work.

Klaus

Post by Alexey Eromenko
-Technologov

Alexey Eromenko

2014-10-06 19:02:08 UTC

Permalink

That's doable, too. Hope later this week or so I can help. The problem with
the multi-distro installer and python is that there's only one binary per
version, and python 2.x is world famous for an infinitely incompatible ABI
between even linux distros. Definitely only useful in a before/after
comparison, because there might be existing breakages already. Only the
distro specific packages are really guaranteed to work.

1. compiling python bindings on demand like kernel modules is a good
idea? would that be hard ?
2. Is python 3.x ABI more stable / compatble between 3.0...3.3 ?

--
-Alexey Eromenko "Technologov"

Anna Fischer

2014-10-07 18:06:34 UTC

Permalink

Betreff: Re: [vbox-dev] Would it be possible to create a python3 bindings for
VBox?

Post by Alexey Eromenko
Why python 2.3 ?

Because it's the oldest which ever worked, I think with RHEL4U1 or so.
Note that the older ones aren't as high priority, as long as 2.5 - 2.7 have been
tested.

Support is a bit too strong - it's just known working, not frequently used :)

That'd work - it's only one data point, but building VirtualBox everywhere is
definitely challenging. We spend quite some time to find working Qt4 etc.
packages.

That's doable, too. Hope later this week or so I can help. The problem with
the multi-distro installer and python is that there's only one binary per
version, and python 2.x is world famous for an infinitely incompatible ABI
between even linux distros. Definitely only useful in a before/after
comparison, because there might be existing breakages already. Only the
distro specific packages are really guaranteed to work.

Hi Klaus, Alexey,

I'm quite interested in a Python3 binding as well, so if I can give you a hand with testing, let me know.
I'm using Gentoo with the latest VBOX version (and Python2 binding).

Regards,
Anna

Alexey Eromenko

2014-10-07 18:36:50 UTC

Permalink

Patch now on forums:
https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=64030