Python 3.13 Removes 19 Standard Library Modules (PEP 594) and Related Changes

In Python 3.13, 19 modules from the standard library are removed as part of the implementation of PEP 594, which was originally deprecated in Python 3.11. The removed modules are aifc , audioop , cgi , cgitb , chunk , crypt , imghdr , mailcap , msilib , nis , nntplib , ossaudiodev , pipes , sndhdr , spwd , sunau , telnetlib , uu and xdrlib .

Additionally, the 2to3 program and the lib2to3 module are removed; the PEG parser introduced by PEP 617 was already deprecated in Python 3.11.

Python 3.12 had previously removed five stdlib modules: asynchat , asyncore , smtpd (PEP 594), distutils (PEP 632), and imp (replaced by importlib ).

Among all removed modules, the most troublesome are distutils , imp , and cgi .

Python 3.12’s new features and Python 3.13’s removal list include suggested replacements, and only a few modules lack known alternatives at present.

PEP 594 is controversial: while many developers value a large, practical stdlib, the steering committee decided to proceed with the removal to gather user feedback and give the ecosystem time to adapt.

The maintenance of the removed modules has been shifted outside the Python core; users now must organize their own maintenance because the core team, composed mainly of volunteers, lacks the capacity to maintain roughly 300 stdlib modules and their C extensions.

The final release of Python 3.12 is planned for October 2023, and the final release of Python 3.13 is scheduled for October 2024.