[New-bugs-announce] [issue30979] the winapi fails to run shortcuts (because considers a shortcut not a valid Win32App)

[Bernát Gábor]

New submission from Bernát Gábor:

Although python27.exe.lnk is callable from any command line tool, with any of its arguments the subprocess module thinks it's not a valid Win32 application.

Proof, let there be python27.exe.lnk be a shortcut to python.exe:

C:\Python27
λ ls python*
python.exe*  python27.exe.lnk*  pythonw.exe*

λ python.exe -c "import sys; print(sys.version)"
2.7.13 (v2.7.13:a06454b1afa1, Dec 17 2016, 20:42:59) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)]

C:\Python27
λ python.exe -c "import subprocess; print(subprocess.call(['./python.exe', '-c', '\"import sys; print(sys.version)\"']))"
0

C:\Python27
λ python27.exe -c "import subprocess; print(subprocess.call(['./python27.exe.lnk', '-c', '\"import sys; print(sys.version)\"']))"
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
  File "C:\Python27\lib\subprocess.py", line 168, in call
    return Popen(*popenargs, **kwargs).wait()
  File "C:\Python27\lib\subprocess.py", line 390, in __init__
    errread, errwrite)
  File "C:\Python27\lib\subprocess.py", line 640, in _execute_child
    startupinfo)
WindowsError: [Error 193] %1 is not a valid Win32 application

----------
components: Windows
messages: 298752
nosy: Bernát Gábor, paul.moore, steve.dower, tim.golden, zach.ware
priority: normal
severity: normal
status: open
title: the winapi fails to run shortcuts (because considers a shortcut not a valid Win32App)
type: enhancement
versions: Python 2.7, Python 3.3, Python 3.4, Python 3.5, Python 3.6, Python 3.7

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue30979>
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