Hi Steve,
- LTS: KNIME AP 5.9 will not be long-term supported, but it will serve as the basis for all future versions of KNIME. AP 5.8(.1+) will be long-term supported, though it does not include these library changes. There will be only a short time window between the 5.9 and 5.8.1 (LTS) releases. The latter is planned for around St. Nikolaus (which falls on a Saturday this year), so after 5.9. It won’t be a “big-■■■■” release. (Here is the announcement with more details.)
- Python-based extensions: Phew, hard to answer! We have not tested this. The main motivation for changing the installation path for Python-based extensions is recurring issues with meta information and p2 touchpoints. To fully complete an installation, another full restart of the application is required (and for headless applications, we are going to offer an additional application – stay tuned for details).
– Bernd