Python 3.6 is the default Python on CentOS 8 as well, so although it is a carryover from Qpid Dispatch, it is still reasonable for skupper-router to test with Python 3.6 as much as possible, because there is a good chance it will be deployed on Python 3.6.

Having said that, CentOS/RHEL 8 offers multiple versions of some packages, and Python is one of those.

$ podman run --rm -it ubi8/ubi dnf search 'python3*-devel'
python36-devel.x86_64 : Libraries and header files needed for Python development
python38-devel.x86_64 : Libraries and header files needed for Python development
python39-devel.x86_64 : Libraries and header files needed for Python development

Therefore, it would be possible to pick one of the newer Pythons as the required minimum, if there was a good reason. I can think of, in order of importance

1. simply restricting the set of possibilities where there is a little to no benefit of keeping all options open (the logic behind my The unbearable optionality of dependencies and features #48)
2. https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0563/ useful feature for tidier type annotations
3. asyncio had some api changes since 3.6, so if that is ever used in testing, it is better to support only recent pythons

Good point re: Centos8, closing.