Change Details

[Taken T216165#5284682 by @Krinkle] I'd like to try to swing this around and instead look at what the highest PHP version is that we could require, for MW 1.33/34 (regular stable) and MW 1.35 (LTS). [Per the review below we're looking at PHP 7.2 for MW 1.34, but we'll want to use the same criteria in the future for the next major update.] This exercise makes the following (potentially controversial) assumptions: * We prefer not to support a PHP version beyond its EOL. * We prefer not to support an Ubuntu or Debian version beyond its EOL. * Each Ubuntu and Debian version must have at least one MW version that we still support when the Linux release cycle starts. * Administrators using the Ubuntu and Debian LTSes must have a clear upgrade path from one combination of Linux/PHP/MW to the next without any gaps where they aren't supported, and to be able to remain on a combination for at least 1 year, preferably 2. [[ https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php | PHP ]] * PHP 7.1 support: Dec 2016 - Dec 2019 * PHP 7.2 support: Nov 2017 - Nov 2020 * PHP 7.3 support: Dec 2018 - Dec 2021 [[ https://ubuntu.com/about/release-cycle | Ubuntu ]]: * Ubuntu 18.04 LTS: mid-2018 - mid-2023 (PHP 7.2) * Ubuntu 20.04 LTS: mid-2020 - mid-2025 (PHP 7.3, maybe later) [[ https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases | Debian ]]: * Debian 9 Stretch: mid-2017 - 2022 (PHP 7.0) * Debian 10 Buster: mid-2019 - 2022+ (PHP 7.3) [[ https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Version_lifecycle | MediaWiki ]] * MediaWiki 1.31: June 2018 - June 2021 (PHP 7.0+) * MediaWiki 1.32: Jan 2019 - Jan 2020 (PHP 7.0+) * MediaWiki 1.33: June 2019 - June 2020 (PHP …) * MediaWiki 1.34: November 2019 - November 2020 (PHP …) * MediaWiki 1.35 LTS: June 2020 - June 2023 (PHP …) Now, let's see if we could require PHP 7.2 for MW 1.33+ and uphold the three assumptions. The only combination we need to look at is Debian 9 Stretch with PHP 7.0. On that platform, we support MW 1.31 started June 2018, and supported until June 2021 (that's 3 years even). By then, there will be Debian 10 and several MediaWiki releases that support for PHP 7.2, which gives them a clear upgrade path without any gaps where they aren't supported. It does mean however, that we don't support users who remain on a single Linux LTS for more than 3 years, but I don't see why we would need to support that. The above proposal means they can remain idle for 2 years, and then have the third year to upgrade.

[Taken T216165#5284682 by @Krinkle] I'd like to try to swing this around and instead look at what the highest PHP version is that we could require, for MW 1.33/34 (regular stable) and MW 1.35 (LTS). [Per the review below we're looking at PHP 7.2 for MW 1.34, but we'll want to use the same criteria in the future for the next major update as a common task.] This exercise makes the following (potentially controversial) assumptions: * We prefer not to support a PHP version beyond its EOL. * We prefer not to support an Ubuntu or Debian version beyond its EOL. * Each Ubuntu and Debian version must have at least one MW version that we still support when the Linux release cycle starts. * Administrators using the Ubuntu and Debian LTSes must have a clear upgrade path from one combination of Linux/PHP/MW to the next without any gaps where they aren't supported, and to be able to remain on a combination for at least 1 year, preferably 2. [[ https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php | PHP ]] * PHP 7.1 support: Dec 2016 - Dec 2019 * PHP 7.2 support: Nov 2017 - Nov 2020 * PHP 7.3 support: Dec 2018 - Dec 2021 [[ https://ubuntu.com/about/release-cycle | Ubuntu ]]: * Ubuntu 18.04 LTS: mid-2018 - mid-2023 (PHP 7.2) * Ubuntu 20.04 LTS: mid-2020 - mid-2025 (PHP 7.3, maybe later) [[ https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases | Debian ]]: * Debian 9 Stretch: mid-2017 - 2022 (PHP 7.0) * Debian 10 Buster: mid-2019 - 2022+ (PHP 7.3) [[ https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Version_lifecycle | MediaWiki ]] * MediaWiki 1.31: June 2018 - June 2021 (PHP 7.0+) * MediaWiki 1.32: Jan 2019 - Jan 2020 (PHP 7.0+) * MediaWiki 1.33: June 2019 - June 2020 (PHP …) * MediaWiki 1.34: November 2019 - November 2020 (PHP …) * MediaWiki 1.35 LTS: June 2020 - June 2023 (PHP …) Now, let's see if we could require PHP 7.2 for MW 1.33+ and uphold the three assumptions. The only combination we need to look at is Debian 9 Stretch with PHP 7.0. On that platform, we support MW 1.31 started June 2018, and supported until June 2021 (that's 3 years even). By then, there will be Debian 10 and several MediaWiki releases that support for PHP 7.2, which gives them a clear upgrade path without any gaps where they aren't supported. It does mean however, that we don't support users who remain on a single Linux LTS for more than 3 years, but I don't see why we would need to support that. The above proposal means they can remain idle for 2 years, and then have the third year to upgrade.

[Taken T216165#5284682 by @Krinkle] I'd like to try to swing this around and instead look at what the highest PHP version is that we could require, for MW 1.33/34 (regular stable) and MW 1.35 (LTS). [Per the review below we're looking at PHP 7.2 for MW 1.34, but we'll want to use the same criteria in the future for the next major update as a common task.] This exercise makes the following (potentially controversial) assumptions: * We prefer not to support a PHP version beyond its EOL. * We prefer not to support an Ubuntu or Debian version beyond its EOL. * Each Ubuntu and Debian version must have at least one MW version that we still support when the Linux release cycle starts. * Administrators using the Ubuntu and Debian LTSes must have a clear upgrade path from one combination of Linux/PHP/MW to the next without any gaps where they aren't supported, and to be able to remain on a combination for at least 1 year, preferably 2. [[ https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php | PHP ]] * PHP 7.1 support: Dec 2016 - Dec 2019 * PHP 7.2 support: Nov 2017 - Nov 2020 * PHP 7.3 support: Dec 2018 - Dec 2021 [[ https://ubuntu.com/about/release-cycle | Ubuntu ]]: * Ubuntu 18.04 LTS: mid-2018 - mid-2023 (PHP 7.2) * Ubuntu 20.04 LTS: mid-2020 - mid-2025 (PHP 7.3, maybe later) [[ https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases | Debian ]]: * Debian 9 Stretch: mid-2017 - 2022 (PHP 7.0) * Debian 10 Buster: mid-2019 - 2022+ (PHP 7.3) [[ https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Version_lifecycle | MediaWiki ]] * MediaWiki 1.31: June 2018 - June 2021 (PHP 7.0+) * MediaWiki 1.32: Jan 2019 - Jan 2020 (PHP 7.0+) * MediaWiki 1.33: June 2019 - June 2020 (PHP …) * MediaWiki 1.34: November 2019 - November 2020 (PHP …) * MediaWiki 1.35 LTS: June 2020 - June 2023 (PHP …) Now, let's see if we could require PHP 7.2 for MW 1.33+ and uphold the three assumptions. The only combination we need to look at is Debian 9 Stretch with PHP 7.0. On that platform, we support MW 1.31 started June 2018, and supported until June 2021 (that's 3 years even). By then, there will be Debian 10 and several MediaWiki releases that support for PHP 7.2, which gives them a clear upgrade path without any gaps where they aren't supported. It does mean however, that we don't support users who remain on a single Linux LTS for more than 3 years, but I don't see why we would need to support that. The above proposal means they can remain idle for 2 years, and then have the third year to upgrade.