[Python-modules-team] Bug#844087: Please consider removing pyfits

[Ole Streicher]

Source: pyfits
Severity: wishlist
Control: block -1 by 844085

Dear Aurelien,

as I wrote on the debian-astro mailing list, I am planning to remove
pywcs because it is completely obsoleted by astropy. The same argument
is however valid for pyfits, which also will not see any upstream love
anymore.

IMO the release of Stretch is a good opportunity to force the users into
the use of astropy, especially as it is as easy as replacing

    import pyfits

by

    import astropy.io.fits as pyfits

Pyfits has three reverse dependencies (astlib, python-cpl, and
pyscanfcs), with the first to being optional (first option there is
astropy already). For pyscanfs, I files a bug #844085 asking to switch
to astropy.

Once they did the warp, would you also consider to remove? IMO that
would help to keep Debian clean from obsolete packages.

Best regards

Ole