Closed
Description
I'm assuming that 6.0 target release date is around April 2016, based on this schedule.
- Windows XP does not receive security updates for more than 1½ years now. By the Node.js v6 release that would make 2 years. The platform itself is insecure, users should not be encouraged staying on it. Ref: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/WindowsForBusiness/end-of-xp-support
- Chrome will be dropping Windows XP and Vista support on April 2016. To my understanding, that would mean that any v8 updates (even the security-related ones) could break on Windows XP — they won't test it or care about it. Ref: http://chrome.blogspot.com/2015/11/updates-to-chrome-platform-support.html
- Currently, Windows XP (and Vista) support causes visible maintance burden, that's wasting developers time for no good reason. Refs: Getting the error "Assertion failed (wrap->ssl_) != (nullptr), file src\tls_wrap.cc, line 320" while module installation by npm #2979, tls: use parent handle's close callback #2991 (comment), fs: optimize realpath using uv_fs_realpath() #3594 (comment), fs: add uv_fs_realpath() libuv/libuv#531 (comment), Windows installer for x64 fails on Vista #909, win: build fixes #512, node.js Setup Wizard ended prematurely #4092.
- Whomever is still using Windows XP has more serious problems than not being able to run latest Node.js versions.