[Python-Dev] Python in next Windows 10 update

[Steve Dower]

On 22May2019 1237, Oscar Benjamin wrote:
> On Tue, 21 May 2019 at 21:32, Steve Dower <steve.dower at python.org> wrote:
>>
>> In the next Windows 10 update that starts rolling out today, we
>> (Microsoft) have added "python.exe" and "python3.exe" commands that are
>> installed on PATH *by default* and will open the Microsoft Store at the
>> page where we (Python core team) publish our build.
>>
>> This makes it a 1-2 click process to get from a clean machine to having
>> a usable Python install ("python.exe" -> opens Store -> "Get it Free" ->
>> "python.exe" now works!)
> 
> This is great. Thanks for this Steve. A lot of novices struggle to get
> Python installed and running on Windows. Not being on PATH is a
> particular problem for them so this looks very useful. Of course it
> doesn't take long before a novice programmer needs some other
> libraries (numpy, matploblib etc for my students) so I wonder how that
> part works.

pip/pip3/pip3.7 all work as expected (python -m pip has a bug that will 
be fixed once we get a new version of pip bundled - I've already made 
the fix on their side to correct it, but the workaround is to pass --user).

python -m venv also works as expected (now... after some bug fixes from 
the initial release).

> Is this doing a single-user or system wide install?

It's an interesting hybrid. The files are installed once per system, and 
are locked down even from being changed by administrators. But each user 
has to install it themselves (which is very quick if another user has 
already got it) and they will have their own packages/settings/etc.

> After install is IDLE available via start menu?

Yes. Also at the command line as idle/idle3/idle3.7

> How does pip fit into this? Will pip be on PATH after install?

Yes, as pip/pip3/pip3.7.

Currently, installing a tool with its own entry point will not put it on 
PATH but will prompt you to put your Scripts directory there yourself. 
There's no good workaround for this, other than using -m or pipx.

Cheers,
Steve