I'm inclined to think this question does not even need to stay closed.

It's a quite general question, and the OP may personally be helped more if they expand their question to include specific details of the software they're developing and maintaining.

Although it's general, it has good answers that are mostly based on objective considerations. And there's really only a small handful of possible right answers to this question. I could imagine a whole book written about issues related to that question, but I cannot imagine a whole book written just to answer that particular question.

Basically, software developed in a way that might rely on specifics of an earlier minor release (the y in x.y.z) of Python than the system provides can either be tested with the newer version and modified as appropriate, or it can be run with the older version of Python, such as with virtualenv. It's not as though there's an unlimited number of materially different answers to this question. The handful of answers already posted cover the range of possible solutions pretty well.

This is the sort of question that might be benefiting the community as a whole more than the individual who asked it. A definitive answer for what they should do personally cannot be given, but the question can be--and has been--answered by explaining the considerations and the options available. Notably, the answers there that do that aren't even particularly long.

Naturally, each of us has somewhat different ideas about what questions ought to be closed and for what reason. A reader may or may not accept my above argument for why this question doesn't need to remain closed. I think it is not actually too broad in the way that's relevant for deciding closure. I expect some others will disagree. Either way, though:

• A reasonable argument can be articulated for why this question is perfectly fine for our site and could even remain open.
• The question is answered with answers that clearly have some value, even if votes and accepts are disregarded.
• The question, and at least one of its answers, have garnered plenty of votes.

Any one of those reasons should motivate special care before deleting (or voting to delete) a question. I think the presence of all three strongly suggests deletion is very unlikely to be an appropriate fate for this question.

I'm inclined to think this question does not even need to stay closed.

It's a quite general question, and the OP may personally be helped more if they expand their question to include specific details of the software they're developing and maintaining.

Although it's general, it has good answers that are mostly based on objective considerations. And there's really only a small handful of possible right answers to this question. I could imagine a whole book written about issues related to that question, but I cannot imagine a whole book written just to answer that particular question.

Basically, software developed in a way that might rely on specifics of an earlier minor release (the y in x.y.z) of Python than the system provides can either be tested with the newer version and modified as appropriate, or it can be run with the older version of Python, such as with virtualenv. It's not as though there's an unlimited number of materially different answers to this question. The handful of answers already posted cover the range of possible solutions pretty well.

This is the sort of question that might be benefiting the community as a whole more than the individual who asked it. A definitive answer for what they should do personally cannot be given, but the question can be--and has been--answered by explaining the considerations and the options available. Notably, the answers there that do that aren't even particularly long.

Naturally, each of us has somewhat different ideas about what questions ought to be closed and for what reason. A reader may or may not accept my above argument for why this question doesn't need to remain closed. I think it is not actually too broad in the way that's relevant for deciding closure. I expect some others will disagree. Either way, though:

• A reasonable argument can be articulated for why this question is perfectly fine for our site and could even remain open.
• The question is answered with answers that clearly have some value, even if votes and accepts are disregarded.
• The question, and at least one of its answers, have garnered plenty of votes.

Any one of those reasons should motivate special care before deleting (or voting to delete) a question. I think the presence of all three strongly suggests deletion is very unlikely to be an appropriate fate for this question.