Problem

[Chris Angelico]

On Thu, Oct 1, 2020 at 7:33 AM Mirko via Python-list
<python-list at python.org> wrote:
>
> Am 30.09.2020 um 17:55 schrieb Dennis Lee Bieber:
> > On Tue, 29 Sep 2020 22:31:18 +0000 (UTC), Ron Villarreal via Python-list
> > <python-list at python.org> declaimed the following:
> >
> >> Tried to open Python 3.8. I have Windows 10. Icon won’t open.
> >
> >       What "Icon"?
> >
> >       Python is a language interpreter/compiler -- it runs from a command
> > prompt/shell. Clicking on a Python SCRIPT might open a shell, which will
> > almost immediately close when the script finishes executing (files with a
> > .pyw extension are supposed to create their own GUI using one of a couple
> > of libraries, and don't open a shell).
>
>
> I'm just a lurker, hobby programmer and Linux geek, so take my words
> with some caution.
>
> 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. And quite often, it
turns out that these issues come from someone doing *more than one* of
these, making it even more difficult to figure out what's happened.

So, go ahead, ask if it's appropriate.... good luck getting a useful response :|

ChrisA