How to install Python package from source on Windows

[eryk sun]

On Tue, May 16, 2017 at 12:51 AM, Chris Angelico <rosuav at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The Python.org support policy is that Python X.Y will be
> supported on Windows Z if and only if Windows Z was supported by
> Microsoft as of when Python X.Y.0 was released.

Python 3.4 is the last to support XP (2014-04-08 EOL).
Python 3.6 is the last to support Vista (2017-04-11 EOL).

Estimates:
Windows 7, 2020-01-14 EOL: Python 3.8
Windows 8, 2023-01-20 EOL: Python 3.10
Windows 10, 2025-10-14 EOL: Python 3.11

> There is, however, one exception. Python 2.7 supports Windows XP,

The exception is 2.7's extended 10-year lifecycle (2010-2020). Given
the ABI compatibility requirement to use an old, unsupported compiler,
Python 2.7 is all but dead on Windows -- at least it should be.

> a specific version of MSVC (I don't remember which off-hand) that is
> now unsupported by Microsoft.

Python 2.7 is built using the VS 2008 (VC++ 9.0) compiler toolset.
This old compiler is required for compatibility with existing
extension modules. Note that the main project files in PCbuild/ have
been updated to VS 2010 format and require MSBuild from VS 2010 or
newer (plus of course the VS 2008 compiler). However, the PC/VS9.0
project files are still supported if you only have VS 2008 installed.

Getting VS 2008 requires an MSDN subscription. There is no free
version available.

> However, *specifically for Python extension developers*, Microsoft offers the
> zero-dollar version of that compiler still, and will for a decent while (again, I don't
> remember the specifics, but it's something comparable to Py2.7's own
> upstream support).

That's VC++ Compiler for Python 2.7:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44266

Currently it can't build Python itself, but according to Steve Dower
it's possible to configure it to work.