19 files changed, 23 insertions, 43 deletions
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
index 49bb2f370..05832e02d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, "3.10"]
+        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9, "3.10"]
     outputs:
       python-key: ${{ steps.generate-python-key.outputs.key }}
     steps:
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, "3.10"]
+        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9, "3.10"]
     outputs:
       python-key: ${{ steps.generate-python-key.outputs.key }}
     steps:
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: ["pypy-3.6", "pypy-3.7"]
+        python-version: ["pypy-3.7"]
     outputs:
       python-key: ${{ steps.generate-python-key.outputs.key }}
     steps:
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index b9f497c89..b87af0217 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ Release date: TBA
 ..
   Put new features here and also in 'doc/whatsnew/2.14.rst'
 
+* ``Pylint`` now requires Python 3.7.2 or newer to run.
+
+  Closes #4301
+
 * ``BaseChecker`` classes now require the ``linter`` argument to be passed.
 
 * Update ``invalid-slots-object`` message to show bad object rather than its inferred value.
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 9e4da34d8..aef1e34f1 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ Pylint can be simply installed by running::
 
     pip install pylint
 
-If you are using Python 3.6.2+, upgrade to get full support for your version::
+If you are using Python 3.7.2+, upgrade to get full support for your version::
 
     pip install pylint --upgrade
 
diff --git a/doc/development_guide/testing.rst b/doc/development_guide/testing.rst
index af14ad4ab..fa0a988d5 100644
--- a/doc/development_guide/testing.rst
+++ b/doc/development_guide/testing.rst
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Before writing a new test it is often a good idea to ensure that your change isn
 breaking a current test. You can run our tests using the tox_ package, as in::
 
     python -m tox
-    python -m tox -epy36 # for Python 3.6 suite only
+    python -m tox -epy38 # for Python 3.8 suite only
     python -m tox -epylint # for running Pylint over Pylint's codebase
     python -m tox -eformatting # for running formatting checks over Pylint's codebase
 
diff --git a/doc/faq.rst b/doc/faq.rst
index de7288ae5..8d5dbccdc 100644
--- a/doc/faq.rst
+++ b/doc/faq.rst
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ supported.
 2.4 What versions of Python is Pylint supporting?
 --------------------------------------------------
 
-The supported running environment since Pylint 2.12.1 is Python 3.6.2+.
+The supported running environment since Pylint 2.14.0 is Python 3.7.2+.
 
 
 3. Running Pylint
diff --git a/doc/whatsnew/2.14.rst b/doc/whatsnew/2.14.rst
index 4d4a0ff54..6f9e312fd 100644
--- a/doc/whatsnew/2.14.rst
+++ b/doc/whatsnew/2.14.rst
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ Extensions
 Other Changes
 =============
 
+* ``Pylint`` now requires Python 3.7.2 or newer to run.
+
+  Closes #4301
+
 * Update ``invalid-slots-object`` message to show bad object rather than its inferred value.
 
   Closes #6101
diff --git a/pylint/checkers/non_ascii_names.py b/pylint/checkers/non_ascii_names.py
index 29de8449e..78dc12ac0 100644
--- a/pylint/checkers/non_ascii_names.py
+++ b/pylint/checkers/non_ascii_names.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ See: https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0672/#confusable-characters-in-identifi
 The following checkers are intended to make users are aware of these issues.
 """
 
-import sys
 from typing import Optional, Union
 
 from astroid import nodes
@@ -18,18 +17,6 @@ from astroid import nodes
 from pylint import constants, interfaces, lint
 from pylint.checkers import base_checker, utils
 
-if sys.version_info[:2] >= (3, 7):
-    # pylint: disable-next=fixme
-    # TODO: Remove after 3.6 has been deprecated
-    Py37Str = str
-else:
-
-    class Py37Str(str):
-        # Allow Python 3.6 compatibility
-        def isascii(self: str) -> bool:
-            return all("\u0000" <= x <= "\u007F" for x in self)
-
-
 NON_ASCII_HELP = (
     "Used when the name contains at least one non-ASCII unicode character. "
     "See https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0672/#confusable-characters-in-identifiers"
@@ -95,7 +82,7 @@ class NonAsciiNameChecker(base_checker.BaseChecker):
             # For some nodes i.e. *kwargs from a dict, the name will be empty
             return
 
-        if not (Py37Str(name).isascii()):
+        if not str(name).isascii():
             type_label = constants.HUMAN_READABLE_TYPES[node_type]
             args = (type_label.capitalize(), name)
 
diff --git a/pylint/constants.py b/pylint/constants.py
index 84cb6dc22..5428afe0c 100644
--- a/pylint/constants.py
+++ b/pylint/constants.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import platformdirs
 from pylint.__pkginfo__ import __version__
 from pylint.typing import MessageTypesFullName
 
-PY37_PLUS = sys.version_info[:2] >= (3, 7)
 PY38_PLUS = sys.version_info[:2] >= (3, 8)
 PY39_PLUS = sys.version_info[:2] >= (3, 9)
 
diff --git a/pylint/extensions/typing.py b/pylint/extensions/typing.py
index 12ccfdffc..b29b58cf6 100644
--- a/pylint/extensions/typing.py
+++ b/pylint/extensions/typing.py
@@ -367,12 +367,10 @@ class TypingChecker(BaseChecker):
             if (
                 isinstance(inferred, (nodes.FunctionDef, nodes.ClassDef))
                 and inferred.qname() in TYPING_NORETURN
-                # In Python 3.6, NoReturn is alias of '_NoReturn'
                 # In Python 3.7 - 3.8, NoReturn is alias of '_SpecialForm'
                 or isinstance(inferred, astroid.bases.BaseInstance)
                 and isinstance(inferred._proxied, nodes.ClassDef)
-                and inferred._proxied.qname()
-                in {"typing._NoReturn", "typing._SpecialForm"}
+                and inferred._proxied.qname() == "typing._SpecialForm"
             ):
                 self.add_message("broken-noreturn", node=node, confidence=INFERENCE)
                 break
diff --git a/requirements_test.txt b/requirements_test.txt
index 2e35f584d..c1588ba40 100644
--- a/requirements_test.txt
+++ b/requirements_test.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 -r requirements_test_min.txt
 coveralls~=3.3
 coverage~=6.2
-pre-commit~=2.17;python_full_version>="3.6.2"
+pre-commit~=2.17
 tbump~=6.6.0
 contributors-txt>=0.7.3
 pyenchant~=3.2
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 0b2e74352..5714bfd3c 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ classifiers =
     Programming Language :: Python
     Programming Language :: Python :: 3
     Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only
-    Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6
     Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7
     Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8
     Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ install_requires =
     tomli>=1.1.0;python_version<"3.11"
     colorama;sys_platform=="win32"
     typing-extensions>=3.10.0;python_version<"3.10"
-python_requires = >=3.6.2
+python_requires = >=3.7.2
 
 [options.extras_require]
 testutil=gitpython>3
diff --git a/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.py b/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 3338c2456..000000000
--- a/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-"""Test that getmoduleinfo is deprecated."""
-import inspect
-
-inspect.getmoduleinfo(inspect) # [deprecated-method]
diff --git a/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.rc b/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.rc
deleted file mode 100644
index 83cd04143..000000000
--- a/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.rc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-[testoptions]
-max_pyver=3.6
diff --git a/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.txt b/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 77632a157..000000000
--- a/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_method_getmoduleinfo.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-deprecated-method:4:::Using deprecated method getmoduleinfo()
diff --git a/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_module_py3.rc b/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_module_py3.rc
index 83cd04143..375b36140 100644
--- a/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_module_py3.rc
+++ b/tests/functional/d/deprecated/deprecated_module_py3.rc
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-[testoptions]
-max_pyver=3.6
+[typing]
+py-version=3.6
diff --git a/tests/functional/i/inconsistent/inconsistent_returns_noreturn.rc b/tests/functional/i/inconsistent/inconsistent_returns_noreturn.rc
index bf9569ba2..dd6cbb598 100644
--- a/tests/functional/i/inconsistent/inconsistent_returns_noreturn.rc
+++ b/tests/functional/i/inconsistent/inconsistent_returns_noreturn.rc
@@ -1,5 +1,2 @@
-[testoptions]
-min_pyver=3.6.2
-
 [REFACTORING]
 never-returning-functions=sys.exit,sys.getdefaultencoding
diff --git a/tests/functional/i/inherit_non_class.py b/tests/functional/i/inherit_non_class.py
index 7454744d9..e741c7353 100644
--- a/tests/functional/i/inherit_non_class.py
+++ b/tests/functional/i/inherit_non_class.py
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ class ParentBad:
         return 42
 
 # pylint: disable-next=fixme
-# TODO This should emit 'unsubscriptable-object' for Python 3.6
 class Child1(ParentGood[int]):
     pass
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/i/inherit_non_class.txt b/tests/functional/i/inherit_non_class.txt
index 4f9083832..2e94b4001 100644
--- a/tests/functional/i/inherit_non_class.txt
+++ b/tests/functional/i/inherit_non_class.txt
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ inherit-non-class:68:0:68:24:NotInheritableBool:Inheriting 'bool', which is not
 inherit-non-class:72:0:72:25:NotInheritableRange:Inheriting 'range', which is not a class.:UNDEFINED
 inherit-non-class:76:0:76:25:NotInheritableSlice:Inheriting 'slice', which is not a class.:UNDEFINED
 inherit-non-class:80:0:80:30:NotInheritableMemoryView:Inheriting 'memoryview', which is not a class.:UNDEFINED
-inherit-non-class:99:0:99:12:Child2:Inheriting 'ParentBad[int]', which is not a class.:UNDEFINED
-unsubscriptable-object:103:13:103:18:Child3:Value 'Empty' is unsubscriptable:UNDEFINED
+inherit-non-class:98:0:98:12:Child2:Inheriting 'ParentBad[int]', which is not a class.:UNDEFINED
+unsubscriptable-object:102:13:102:18:Child3:Value 'Empty' is unsubscriptable:UNDEFINED
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 550bbf166..0f3192e27 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tox]
 minversion = 2.4
-envlist = formatting, py36, py37, py38, py39, py310, pypy, benchmark
+envlist = formatting, py37, py38, py39, py310, pypy, benchmark
 skip_missing_interpreters = true
 requires = pip >=21.3.1