Problem

[Chris Angelico]

On Fri, Oct 2, 2020 at 6:11 AM Mirko via Python-list
<python-list at python.org> wrote:
>
> Am 30.09.2020 um 23:44 schrieb Chris Angelico:
> > On Thu, Oct 1, 2020 at 7:33 AM Mirko via Python-list
>
> >> We are seeing these troubles from newcomers on Windows all of the
> >> time -- and that for years. Isn't it time to ask if the way Python
> >> installs itself on Windows-Systems is appropriate?
> >>
> >
> > The problem is that there isn't "the way". Did the person:
> >
> > 1) Download an MSI file from python.org?
> > 2) Install ActiveState?
> > 3) Install Enthought?
> > 4) Install Anaconda?
> > 5) Get Python from the Microsoft Store?
> > 6) Something else?
> >
> > They're all different, they all behave differently, they all have
> > different defaults. And then there's the question of "did you install
> > it for everyone or just you?", and so on.
> >
> > The core Python devs have control of the first option, and some
> > control over the fifth, but none of the others.
>
> Yes, but usability improvements for the one from python.org could be
> later adopted by the other distributors.

Maybe those usability improvements have already been done. I know that
both the python.org downloads and the MS store download have been
significantly improved over the past few years. But frequently, when
these kinds of questions come up, it turns out that someone's
installed *multiple* Pythons. There's not a lot we can do about that.

> I think, that you are jumping from "How to improve the current
> situation?" to "How to make it absolutely perfect?"
>
> That's a sure path into the incapacity to act. I'm not talking about
> solving all the problems that newcomers have, but reducing them.

No, I never said anything of the sort.

> Eryk Sun suggested to rename the installer to a more explicit
> filename. Will that solve all the problems? No. But it reduces the
> troubles by solving one particular case. Renaming "IDLE" to "Python
> IDE" (or similar) might also. Adding desktop icons for it or have a
> "Start the Python Editor (IDLE) now" button/checkbox at the end of
> the installation also.

Renaming Idle to "Python IDE" would be a very bad idea, since there
are many other Python IDEs.

Starting something immediately after installation completes might
help, but would probably just defer the issue to the *second* time
someone wants something.

Last I checked, the Start menu entries DO have the name Python in them
(I think they were in a submenu called "Python X.Y"), so anything
involving changing names in the Start menu is unlikely to help
further.

There is no simple foolproof solution. That's why people still get confused.

ChrisA