Amazon 2023 - A real disaster

I understand your frustration, but I'd like to provide some clarification about Amazon Linux 2023 (AL2023) and its package management.

AL2023 uses DNF as its package manager (with yum as a compatibility layer). Based on the available information, DNF has been regularly updated across AL2023 releases. For example, it was upgraded from version 4.12.0 to 4.14.0 in the 2023.4 release, and has received further updates in subsequent releases.

Regarding Python, AL2023 uses Python 3.9 as its default Python version. The Python packages have been updated across various releases to address bugs and security issues. For instance, in the 2023.6 release, there was a bug in the python3.9 package that prevented the use of venv, but this was quickly addressed in a follow-up release.

AL2023 follows a versioned repository approach rather than a true rolling release model. AMIs are locked to specific repository versions, and you can update the DNF configuration to use newer repository versions when they become available. This approach provides more predictability and stability compared to a traditional rolling release.

To check what repositories are currently enabled on your system, you can run:

dnf repolist all --verbose

If you're experiencing specific issues with DNF or Python on AL2023, providing more details about the exact problems you're encountering would help in addressing them more effectively.
Sources
Amazon Linux 2023 version 2023.4.20240319 release notes - Amazon Linux 2023
Amazon Linux 2023 version 2023.6.20241209 release notes - Amazon Linux 2023
Amazon Linux 2023 version 2023.0.20230308 (Release Candidate 1) release notes - Amazon Linux 2023
Manage package and operating system updates in AL2023 - Amazon Linux 2023
Amazon Linux 2023 version 2023.5.20240708 release notes - Amazon Linux 2023