[New-bugs-announce] [issue23623] Python 3.5 docs need to clarify how to set PATH, etc

[Paul Moore]

New submission from Paul Moore:

With Python 3.5 on Windows defaulting (for all users installs) to the read-only "Program Files" directory, and with "Add Python to PATH" having problems adding the per-user "user scripts" directory to PATH, the Python 3.5 documentation needs to explain the recommended practice for running Python 3.5 from the command line on Windows. Issues that should be covered include:

- System installs with need to be run from an elevated prompt, are user installs now the recommended approach? (It's worth noting in that case that user installs re *not* recommended for older versions, as the user Scripts directory wasn't versioned until Python 3.5)
- How to add the correct directories to PATH (including the user scripts directory) - for both CMD and powershell users and in an existing shell as well as a new one (i.e, no "Python command prompt" shortcuts!)
- How to add the correct directories persistently, so they are available to all programs on startup.
- While the "py" launcher solves the problem of running Python, and some modules via -m (such as pip), many packages install console scripts which do not have an equivalent -m invocation, so "use the launcher" is not a complete solution.

The documentation should clarify where (or if) 3rd party documentation needs to comment on Windows path difficulties. For example, the pip documentation has for a long time said that the way to run pip is via the "pip" command, and until Python included the "Add to PATH" option in the installer, we regularly had to deal with user queries because the "pip" command didn't work out of the box - it would be unfortunate if Python 3.5 left 3rd parties back in that situation again.

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assignee: docs at python
components: Documentation, Windows
messages: 237650
nosy: docs at python, pmoore, steve.dower, tim.golden, zach.ware
priority: release blocker
severity: normal
status: open
title: Python 3.5 docs need to clarify how to set PATH, etc
versions: Python 3.5

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue23623>
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