Work in progress drop python 3.8

Refs #12874

Author: Pierre-Sassoulas

.github/workflows/prepare-release-pr.yml

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Set up Python
       uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
-        python-version: "3.8"
+        python-version: "3.x"
 
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: |

.github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -54,25 +54,23 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         name: [
-          "windows-py38",
-          "windows-py38-pluggy",
+          "windows-py39-pluggy",
           "windows-py39",
           "windows-py310",
           "windows-py311",
           "windows-py312",
           "windows-py313",
 
-          "ubuntu-py38",
-          "ubuntu-py38-pluggy",
-          "ubuntu-py38-freeze",
+          "ubuntu-py39-lsof-numpy-pexpect",
+          "ubuntu-py39-pluggy",
+          "ubuntu-py39-freeze",
           "ubuntu-py39",
           "ubuntu-py310",
           "ubuntu-py311",
           "ubuntu-py312",
           "ubuntu-py313",
           "ubuntu-pypy3",
 
-          "macos-py38",
           "macos-py39",
           "macos-py310",
           "macos-py312",
@@ -83,15 +81,15 @@ jobs:
         ]
 
         include:
-          - name: "windows-py38"
-            python: "3.8"
+          - name: "windows-py39-unittestextras"
+            python: "3.9"
             os: windows-latest
-            tox_env: "py38-unittestextras"
+            tox_env: "py39-unittestextras"
             use_coverage: true
-          - name: "windows-py38-pluggy"
-            python: "3.8"
+          - name: "windows-py39-pluggy"
+            python: "3.9"
             os: windows-latest
-            tox_env: "py38-pluggymain-pylib-xdist"
+            tox_env: "py39-pluggymain-pylib-xdist"
           - name: "windows-py39"
             python: "3.9"
             os: windows-latest
@@ -109,28 +107,27 @@ jobs:
             os: windows-latest
             tox_env: "py312"
           - name: "windows-py313"
-            python: "3.13-dev"
+            python: "3.13"
             os: windows-latest
             tox_env: "py313"
 
-          - name: "ubuntu-py38"
-            python: "3.8"
+          - name: "ubuntu-py39-lsof-numpy-pexpect"
+            python: "3.9"
             os: ubuntu-latest
-            tox_env: "py38-lsof-numpy-pexpect"
-            use_coverage: true
-          - name: "ubuntu-py38-pluggy"
-            python: "3.8"
+            tox_env: "py39-lsof-numpy-pexpect"
+          - name: "ubuntu-py39-pluggy"
+            python: "3.9"
             os: ubuntu-latest
-            tox_env: "py38-pluggymain-pylib-xdist"
-          - name: "ubuntu-py38-freeze"
-            python: "3.8"
+            tox_env: "py39-pluggymain-pylib-xdist"
+          - name: "ubuntu-py39-freeze"
+            python: "3.9"
             os: ubuntu-latest
-            tox_env: "py38-freeze"
-          - name: "ubuntu-py39"
+            tox_env: "py39-freeze"
+          - name: "ubuntu-py39-xdist"
             python: "3.9"
             os: ubuntu-latest
             tox_env: "py39-xdist"
-          - name: "ubuntu-py310"
+          - name: "ubuntu-py310-xdist"
             python: "3.10"
             os: ubuntu-latest
             tox_env: "py310-xdist"
@@ -145,7 +142,7 @@ jobs:
             tox_env: "py312"
             use_coverage: true
           - name: "ubuntu-py313"
-            python: "3.13-dev"
+            python: "3.13"
             os: ubuntu-latest
             tox_env: "py313-pexpect"
             use_coverage: true
@@ -154,10 +151,6 @@ jobs:
             os: ubuntu-latest
             tox_env: "pypy3-xdist"
 
-          - name: "macos-py38"
-            python: "3.8"
-            os: macos-latest
-            tox_env: "py38-xdist"
           - name: "macos-py39"
             python: "3.9"
             os: macos-latest
@@ -172,7 +165,7 @@ jobs:
             os: macos-latest
             tox_env: "py312-xdist"
           - name: "macos-py313"
-            python: "3.13-dev"
+            python: "3.13"
             os: macos-latest
             tox_env: "py313-xdist"
 
@@ -182,7 +175,7 @@ jobs:
             tox_env: "plugins"
 
           - name: "doctesting"
-            python: "3.8"
+            python: "3.9"
             os: ubuntu-latest
             tox_env: "doctesting"
             use_coverage: true
@@ -192,12 +185,12 @@ jobs:
         contains(
           fromJSON(
             '[
-              "windows-py38-pluggy",
+              "windows-py39-pluggy",
               "windows-py313",
-              "ubuntu-py38-pluggy",
-              "ubuntu-py38-freeze",
+              "ubuntu-py39-pluggy",
+              "ubuntu-py39-freeze",
               "ubuntu-py313",
-              "macos-py38",
+              "macos-py39",
               "macos-py313"
             ]'
           ),

CONTRIBUTING.rst

@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ Here is a simple overview, with pytest-specific bits:
 
 #. Run all the tests
 
-   You need to have Python 3.8 or later available in your system.  Now
+   You need to have Python 3.9 or later available in your system.  Now
    running tests is as simple as issuing this command::
 
     $ tox -e linting,py39

README.rst

@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ Features
 - Can run `unittest <https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/how-to/unittest.html>`_ (or trial)
   test suites out of the box
 
-- Python 3.8+ or PyPy3
+- Python 3.9+ or PyPy3
 
 - Rich plugin architecture, with over 1300+ `external plugins <https://docs.pytest.org/en/latest/reference/plugin_list.html>`_ and thriving community
 

changelog/12874.breaking.rst

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+We dropped support for python 3.8 following its end of life (2024-10-07)

doc/en/backwards-compatibility.rst

@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ Released pytest versions support all Python versions that are actively maintaine
 ==============  ===================
 pytest version  min. Python version
 ==============  ===================
+8.4+            3.9+
 8.0+            3.8+
 7.1+            3.7+
 6.2 - 7.0       3.6+

pyproject.toml

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ authors = [
     { name = "Florian Bruhin" },
     { name = "Others (See AUTHORS)" },
 ]
-requires-python = ">=3.8"
+requires-python = ">=3.9"
 classifiers = [
     "Development Status :: 6 - Mature",
     "Intended Audience :: Developers",
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ classifiers = [
     "Operating System :: POSIX",
     "Operating System :: Unix",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only",
-    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11",
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ write_to = "src/_pytest/_version.py"
 
 [tool.black]
 target-version = [
-    'py38',
+    'py39',
 ]
 
 [tool.ruff]
@@ -481,7 +480,7 @@ files = [
 mypy_path = [
     "src",
 ]
-python_version = "3.8"
+python_version = "3.9"
 check_untyped_defs = true
 disallow_any_generics = true
 disallow_untyped_defs = true

testing/code/test_excinfo.py

@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ def raiseos():
             assert upframe is not None
             if upframe.f_code.co_name == "_makepath":
                 # Only raise with expected calls, but not via e.g. inspect for
-                # py38-windows.
+                # py38-windows. (?)
                 raised += 1
                 raise OSError(2, "custom_oserror")
             return orig_path_cwd()

tox.ini

@@ -4,18 +4,17 @@ minversion = 3.20.0
 distshare = {homedir}/.tox/distshare
 envlist =
     linting
-    py38
     py39
     py310
     py311
     py312
     py313
     pypy3
-    py38-{pexpect,xdist,unittestextras,numpy,pluggymain,pylib}
+    py39-{pexpect,xdist,unittestextras,numpy,pluggymain,pylib}
     doctesting
     doctesting-coverage
     plugins
-    py38-freeze
+    py39-freeze
     docs
     docs-checklinks
 
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ setenv =
     PYTHONWARNDEFAULTENCODING=1
 
     # Configuration to run with coverage similar to CI, e.g.
-    # "tox -e py38-coverage".
+    # "tox -e py39-coverage".
     coverage: _PYTEST_TOX_COVERAGE_RUN=coverage run -m
     coverage: _PYTEST_TOX_EXTRA_DEP=coverage-enable-subprocess
     coverage: COVERAGE_FILE={toxinidir}/.coverage
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ commands =
     pytest pytest_twisted_integration.py
     pytest simple_integration.py --force-sugar --flakes
 
-[testenv:py38-freeze]
+[testenv:py39-freeze]
 description =
     test pytest frozen with `pyinstaller` under `{basepython}`
 changedir = testing/freeze