Slight problems with python in Windows

[Peter Toye]

Thanks Zachary.

I should have put a newbie warning as I've never used or installed Python before, so some of what you've written goes over my head! 


Friday, May 6, 2016, 5:17:23 PM, you wrote:

> Hi Peter,

> On Fri, May 6, 2016 at 6:22 AM, Peter Toye <python at ptoye.com> wrote:
>> I'm trying to install Python under Windows 7 so that I can use git-review and have found a few niggling issues.
>>
>> 1) Apparently (according to the git-review pages) pip has a problem with directories with spaces in their names. Python's default installation directory is under Program Files. I agree that this is a pip issue rather than a Python one, but maybe a warning message would help?

> I don't believe this is true anymore, I've successfully used pip with
> 3.5 installed in Program Files, and also just now in a test venv named
> "test venv".  Do note that with installation in Program Files, you get
> the benefits of the install directory being writable only to
> administrators, but also the drawbacks: only administrators can use
> pip to install to the global site-packages.  You can use either 'pip
> --user', or create a venv in a directory writable to you and use it.
> Also note that you can't use "pip.exe" to upgrade pip itself since it
> can't overwrite "pip.exe" while it's in use; use 'python -m pip'
> instead.

My information is obviously out of date - I'll try to get it changed in the git-review wiki.


>> 2) According to the Programs and Files section of the Windows Control Panel, installing Python also installs something called the Python Launcher. When I try to remove this (so I can reinstall Python in a better directory) is comes up with an error message:

> The Python Launcher is a very handy tool called 'py.exe' which makes
> it much easier to use more than one version of Python on a Windows
> machine.  In an all users install, py.exe is installed to C:\Windows
> and is thus always available on PATH, so you can invoke Python 3.5 by
> calling 'py -3.5' without having to adjust your PATH.  The error
> message is odd, though, would you mind trying to reproduce it and
> opening a bug at bugs.python.org?

When I have time.This has already taken longer than it should...

>> Error opening installation log file.  Verify that the specified log file location exists and is writable.
>>
>> After reinstalling I now have 2 copies of the launcher.... I hope it doesn't give me any problems.

> It shouldn't.  The launcher only installs 2 files, py.exe and pyw.exe
> (counterpart to pythonw.exe), both in C:\Windows.

>> 3) After uninstalling Python the installation directory is still there with a few files in it (possibly connected with the previous issue). Can I just delete it?

> Yes, that should be fine.  I would guess it's still there due to pip
> artifacts in Lib\ and Scripts\.

> Hope this helps,

It does - thanks.