Obituaries for Dying Technologies
Deprecation of Python 3.9 for Dependabot Announced
What Ended
On June 23, 2026, Python version 3.9 will cease to receive support from Dependabot. This marks the official end of compatibility for this version within the Dependabot ecosystem. Python 3.9 has reached its end-of-life status as per the official Python Software Foundation announcements. The decision to discontinue support was announced via the GitHub Blog on May 19, 2026. Users of Dependabot that rely on Python 3.9 will face risks associated with outdated security patches and dependency updates. The deprecation affects all repositories utilizing this version with Dependabot integration.
Why It Mattered
The operational impact of the deprecation of Python 3.9 is significant. Dependabot is a tool widely used in software development for automated dependency management. Its functionality relies on maintaining support for current and actively maintained versions of programming languages. The discontinuation of support for Python 3.9 means that any vulnerabilities or bugs discovered after the deprecation date will not be addressed within the Dependabot framework. This presents a potential risk to projects that continue to depend on an unsupported version, leading to security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues. The reliance on an unsupported version can result in technical debt and hinder the ability to integrate newer libraries and tools that require later versions of Python.
What Replaced It / What Gap Remains
Dependabot will continue to support Python versions 3.10 and later. Developers are encouraged to upgrade their projects to these supported versions to mitigate risks associated with the deprecation. As Python 3.9 is phased out, users will need to adapt their codebases and workflows accordingly. The gap remains for those unable to migrate due to legacy systems or dependencies that are not yet compatible with newer Python versions. This could lead to a split in the development community, where some continue to use older versions while others move to newer versions, further complicating dependency management.
