[issue3636] Managing dual 2.x and 3.0 installations on Windows

[richard_b_martin]

New submission from richard_b_martin <martin at ambric.com>:

I installed a 3.0 beta for the first time in Windows.  I was surprised
when my 2.5 scripts started to fail.  I traced it down to the 3.0
install modifying the registry.  

If you run "assoc .py" from a command line, the return value is
Python.File.  If you search the registry for references to Python.File,
you'll find a path that points to python.exe.   The 3.0 install changed
this value.  

So at least a warning in the installation instructions would be nice. 
Probably better would be a script that allow a user to switch between
2.x and 3.0 installations.  That would include having to perhaps modify
the env. variables, Path and PYTHONPATH (see bug 2375) and the registry.

Many thanks, by the way, to all the python developers over the years.

----------
assignee: georg.brandl
components: Documentation
messages: 71676
nosy: georg.brandl, richard_b_martin
severity: normal
status: open
title: Managing dual 2.x and 3.0 installations on Windows
versions: Python 3.0

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue3636>
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