Platform requirements for Node.js 14

[richardlau]

Let's try to sort out the platform requirements for Node.js 14 ahead of the release in April. Node.js 14 is scheduled to be released in April 2020 and End-of-Life in April 2023.

I'll make a start by filling in what we're currently doing for master/Node.js 13. Please help to fill in the table below, discuss questions raised and raise another other questions for discussion. We primarily need to identify what needs changes to build infra (e.g. updating the macOS release machines) so we can try to avoid a last minute rush.

cc @nodejs/platform-aix @nodejs/platform-arm @nodejs/platform-macos @nodejs/platform-ppc @nodejs/platform-s390 @nodejs/platform-smartos @nodejs/platform-windows @nodejs/releasers @nodejs/v8-update

Based on https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/master/BUILDING.md, https://github.com/nodejs/build/blob/master/jenkins/scripts/VersionSelectorScript.groovy we have:

What we build and test on

Only current Tier 1 and Tier 2 platforms shown.

os-arch	release machine	tested on	supported on
aix-ppc64	AIX 7.1 TL05 on PPC64BE with GCC 6	AIX 7.1 TL05	AIX >= 7.2 TL02
darwin-x64	macOS 10.11, Xcode Command Line Tools 10 with -mmacosx-version-min=10.10 macOS 15 ?	macOS 10.10 + 10.11	macOS >= 10.11
linux-arm64	CentOS 7 with devtoolset-6 / GCC 6		kernel >= 4.5, glibc >= 2.17
linux-armv7l	Cross-compiled on Ubuntu 16.04 x64 with custom GCC toolchain		kernel >= 4.14, glibc >= 2.24
linux-ppc64le	CentOS 7 with devtoolset-6 / GCC 6		>=Power 8, kernel >= 3.10.0, glibc >= 2.17
linux-s390x	RHEL 7 with devtoolset-6 / GCC 6	RHEL 7 with devtoolset-6 / GCC 6	kernel >= 3.10.0, glibc >= 2.17
linux-x64	CentOS 7 with devtoolset-6 / GCC 6		kernel >= 3.10, glibc >= 2.17
sunos-x64	SmartOS 18 with GCC 7		>= 18
win-x64 and win-x86	Windows 2012 R2 (x64) with Visual Studio 2017		>= Windows 7/2008 R2/2012 R2 Windows 8/2012 R2?

Actions

• Move cross compiling machine for linux-armv7l off Ubuntu 16.04: jenkins,ansible: arm cross-compilers as docker containers #2290
• Update BUILDING.md in core: Platform updates for Node.js 14 node#32812
• devtoolset-8 on Centos/RHEL Linux on Release machines - Use devtoolset-8 on Centos/RHEL for Node.js 14+ #2242
• Drop release binaries for smartos (but keep testing in CI) Platform requirements for Node.js 14 #2168 (comment) jenkins: drop smartos builds from release for 14+ #2283
• macOS release machine change for notarization (probably need to change the release machine for existing versions of Node.js too) - jenkins & docs: macOS 10.15 #2199
• bump minimum deployment target for macOS to 10.13 - build: update macos deployment target to 10.13 for 14.x node#32454
• Windows 7/2008 R2 are no longer supported so we should remove those from BUILDING.md - win: block running on EOL Windows versions node#31954

No changes

• Python 3 (i.e. are we ready to drop support for the out of support Python 2?) no change from current

[richardlau]

"tested on column" needs filling in but I wanted to submit this before I leave the office today.

[sam-github]

Confirmed test and release machines are same OS level for:

• aix 7.1
• centos7-ppc64
• rhel7-s390x

@richardlau do you know why we officially support AIX7.2+, but we build on AIX7.1?

I don't think we should drop Python 2 support. python3.x executables are preferred over python2.7, over python, but I don't think actually not working with Python 2 is a good idea yet, support is not onerous, complaint from users could be intense. Maybe for 15.x or 16.x.

• Replace ubuntu 16.04

We already have a full set of 18.04 OS levels in CI, do you mean remove Ubuntu 16.04?

It looks like 16.04 is LTS, supported to 2025, so no need to drop it for EOL reasons AFAICT.

On the other hand, all maintenance has a cost, I don't recall us finding issues on those machines that weren't found elsewhere. Does anyone else?

I tend towards the "we should have a compelling argument to have something in CI" not "its already there, so we need to have a compelling argument to remove it".

test-digitalocean-ubuntu1804-x64-1
test-digitalocean-ubuntu1804_docker-x64-1
test-digitalocean-ubuntu1804_docker-x64-2
test-joyent-ubuntu1804-x64-1
test-joyent-ubuntu1804_docker-x64-1
test-scaleway-ubuntu1804-armv7l-1
test-scaleway-ubuntu1804-armv7l-2
test-scaleway-ubuntu1804-armv7l-3
test-softlayer-ubuntu1804_docker-x64-1

[richardlau]

@richardlau do you know why we officially support AIX7.2+, but we build on AIX7.1?

We build on AIX 7.1 because (a) we don't have many AIX release machines (is it just the one?) and (b) Node.js 10 is supported on AIX 7.1. At the time we wrote the supported AIX versions we were still releasing and testing on AIX 6.1(!) due to lack of systems.

* Replace ubuntu 16.04

We already have a full set of 18.04 OS levels in CI, do you mean remove Ubuntu 16.04?

It looks like 16.04 is LTS, supported to 2025, so no need to drop it for EOL reasons AFAICT.

Sorry, misread the support dates. I meant the release machine for linux-armv7l but if Ubuntu 16.04 is supported for the duration of Node.js 14 let's keep it as-is.

[nschonni]

Windows 8.1 hits EOL on January 2023 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet so it doesn't make it to the end of the LTS range. Plain Windows 8 is already EOL. Looks like 2012 is good till October 2023 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search?alpha=windows%20server%202012

[AshCripps]

Notorization requires at least xcode 10 and macOS 10.13.6

With regards to the operating system level Apple don't officaly state anywhere how long they support the os for, but I think going for latest (catalina 10.15) is the best idea to help prevent us running on old software like we do now.

We could also bump up the deployment target as is set to 10.11 (I think) atm, and using the site refack used last time the market share for 10.12 and below is fairly low -