Drop Python 3.7

Given that, after the release of 103.0 LTS, we're now on track for
bigger chances, let's start by dropping Python 3.7 support.

There are a number of features that are available on Python 3.8 and
later only. One example is the availibility of importlib.metadata
stardand library, which we intend to use to replace pkg_resources (and
then setuptools as a whole).

As for Avocado users and important platforms, we're on a good position
such as QEMU already requiring Python 3.8, and CentOS Stream 9
shipping Python 3.9.18.

For RPM builds, EL8 (in all its forms) are not going to be built
anymore on CI.  This may change if the SPEC file is updated to support
a conditional build using Python 3.8 for EL8, but that depends on the
existence of all dependencies on that build, including
python3-aexpect, which is not currently available.

Reference: avocado-framework#5754
Signed-off-by: Cleber Rosa <[email protected]>

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ jobs:
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10.0, 3.11, 3.12.0]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9, 3.10.0, 3.11, 3.12.0]
       fail-fast: false
 
     steps:
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ jobs:
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10.0, 3.11, 3.12.0]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9, 3.10.0, 3.11, 3.12.0]
       fail-fast: false
 
     steps:
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ jobs:
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10.0, 3.11, 3.12.0]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9, 3.10.0, 3.11, 3.12.0]
       fail-fast: false
 
     steps:
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ jobs:
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10.0, 3.11, 3.12.0]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9, 3.10.0, 3.11, 3.12.0]
       fail-fast: false
 
     steps:

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: release
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.7.15, 3.8.16, 3.9.16, 3.10.9, 3.11.1, 3.12.0]
+        python-version: [3.8.16, 3.9.16, 3.10.9, 3.11.1, 3.12.0]
       fail-fast: false
 
     steps:

.packit.yml

@@ -7,9 +7,7 @@ jobs:
     metadata:
       targets:
       - fedora-all
-      - centos-stream-8
       - centos-stream-9
-      - epel-8
       - epel-9
       - fedora-38-aarch64
       - fedora-38-ppc64le

contrib/scripts/avocado-fetch-eggs.py

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def get_avocado_egg_url(avocado_version=None, python_version=None):
 
 def main():
     configure_logging_settings()
-    for version in ["3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]:
+    for version in ["3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]:
         url = get_avocado_egg_url(python_version=version)
         try:
             asset = Asset(url, cache_dirs=CACHE_DIRS)

docs/source/guides/user/chapters/installing.rst

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Installing from PyPI
 --------------------
 
 The simplest installation method is through ``pip``.  On most POSIX systems
-with Python 3.7 (or later) and ``pip`` available, installation can be performed
+with Python 3.8 (or later) and ``pip`` available, installation can be performed
 with a single command::
 
   $ pip3 install --user avocado-framework

requirements-dev.txt

@@ -28,7 +28,3 @@ docutils==0.17.1
 
 # For tests that check content generated by runners
 jsonschema==3.2.0
-
-# For ansible plugin nested dep, compatible with Python 3.6
-setuptools_rust==1.1.2; python_version < '3.7'
-setuptools_rust; python_version >= '3.7'

selftests/functional/plugin/spawners/lxc.py

@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import asyncio
 import os
-import sys
 from unittest import mock
 
-from avocado import Test, skipIf
+from avocado import Test
 from avocado.core.job import Job
 from avocado.plugins.spawners import lxc
 from avocado.plugins.spawners.lxc import LXCSpawner
@@ -12,11 +11,6 @@
 LXC_BACKEND = mock.MagicMock()
 
 
-def incompatible_python_version():
-    return sys.version_info.major == 3 and sys.version_info.minor <= 7
-
-
-@skipIf(incompatible_python_version(), "Not compatible with Python under 3.7.0")
 @mock.patch("avocado.plugins.spawners.lxc.lxc", LXC_BACKEND)
 class LXCSpawnerTest(Test):
     def setUp(self):

setup.py

@@ -349,7 +349,6 @@ def run(self):
             "Topic :: Software Development :: Quality Assurance",
             "Topic :: Software Development :: Testing",
             "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
-            "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7",
             "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8",
             "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9",
             "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
@@ -482,7 +481,7 @@ def run(self):
         },
         zip_safe=False,
         test_suite="selftests",
-        python_requires=">=3.7",
+        python_requires=">=3.8",
         cmdclass={
             "clean": Clean,
             "develop": Develop,