zos python problems causing build failures

[sam-github]

z/os has some problems with python, caused by recent installation of python36 for #1674

@miladfar is looking into this and has identified some of the problems

[miladfarca]

Python3 on zos13-s390x-2 is installed correctly but a dependency lib is missing form the LIB PATH, exporting the following fixes the issue (might need to add this to Jenkins):

export LIBPATH=/NODEJS2/python-2017-04-12-py36/python36/lib/

On zos13-s390x-1, python 3 executable is missing altogether under this directory:

/NODEJS2/python-2017-04-12-py36/python36/bin/

However python 2 is still available under:

/NODEJS2/python-2017-04-12-py27/python27/bin/python

[richardlau]

The only jobs running on z/OS are the libuv ones, where python is needed for gyp. Is libuv using a python3 compatible gyp (does one even exist) yet?

[sam-github]

@nodejs/node-gyp @nodejs/python

[cclauss]

nodejs/node-gyp#1793 is still blocking Python 3 compatibility. There is https://github.com/refack/GYP which should work on Python 3 but that is not (yet?) our standard gyp.

[richardlau]

libuv doesn't embed a copy of gyp (the build instructions say to clone gyp from https://chromium.googlesource.com/external/gyp).

I can't see the configuration for https://ci.nodejs.org/view/libuv/job/libuv-test-commit-zos/ but based on the most recent runs it seems to be doing this:

+ rm -rf build
+ mkdir build
+ cp -R /u/iojs/gyp build

no idea what version of gyp is in /u/iojs/gyp. In any case I imagine for now we want a working Python 2.7 on the z/OS systems to unblock the libuv builds.

cc FYI @nodejs/libuv

[github-actions]

This issue is stale because it has been open many days with no activity. It will be closed soon unless the stale label is removed or a comment is made.

[richardlau]

Closing. The only builds we have currently running on z/OS are the libuv ones and libuv has dropped support for gyp so no longer requires Python. Prior to gyp being removed the z/OS libuv builds using gyp (and Python) were passing.