nrfutil couldn't support python 3.X

[Unia Kuo]

Hi Nordic teams,

I'm developing the function of Mesh DFU. I've test the nrfutil tool locate on https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/pc-nrfutil/tree/mesh_dfu, and it works fine. The next we want to do is integrating the nrfutil into PyAci. However, the nrfutil doesn't support Python 3.X, so I couldn't test after code integration.

Is there any way or version that nrfutil supports Python 3.6 or newer? Or any version will release in the future?

[bjorn-spockeli]

Hi Unia, 

the Mesh team is working on updating the nrfutil version used for Mesh DFU to Python 3 in the nest release of the Mesh SDK. As far as I know this release is expected in Mid 2020. 

Best regards

Bjørn

[Peter Maxwell Warasila]

It's now 2021, over a year after the end of support for Python 2.7, and the mesh_dfu branch still does not run on Python 3.X, and is incompatible with the much updated v 6.1 (!) of the regular nrfutils branch. This is quite headache inducing, and needs to be rectified. It's hard enough to convince IT to support use of Python, let alone deprecated versions of the runtime environment.

[bjorn-spockeli]

I discussed this with one of the mesh developers and I am afraid that updating the mesh_dfu branch to Python 3.x is not a priority. We are transitioning from the nRF5 SDKs over to our new nRF Connect SDK built around the Zephyr kernel, this also inlcludes the Mesh SDK. So development efforts will be directed towards improving mesh support in nRF Connect SDK.  

[Peter Maxwell Warasila]

Alright, that makes sense. Is the nRF Connect SDK the officially supported SDK for BLE Mesh devices going forward?

[bjorn-spockeli]

The nRF5 SDK for Mesh is considered feature complete and all future development will be done in nRF Connect SDK. We will continue to provide customer support for both SDKs, but as stated above we will not be releasing new versions of the nRF5 SDK for Mesh.