[Python-Dev] Python install layout and the PATH on win32

[Brian Curtin]

On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 19:53, Mark Hammond <skippy.hammond at gmail.com> wrote:
> For the sake of brain-storming, how about this:
>
> * All executables and scripts go into the root of the Python install. This
> directory is largely empty now - it is mainly a container for other
> directories.  This would solve the problem of needing 2 directories on the
> PATH and mean existing tools which locate the executable would work fine.

How are existing tools locating the executable which would break with
a change to bin? As I posted on the tracker, the way which pops in my
mind would be to look for "C:\\Python%d%d" % (x, y) but that's already
pretty broken. The people I talked to at PyCon about this were Dino
from Microsoft and he nudged the guy next to him to ask the same
question (I seem to remember this guy worked for an IDE) -- both of
them just wanted to be sure they can still find python.exe's location
via the registry, which will be fine. I think we'll add a key to go
along with InstallPath - BinaryPath probably makes sense.

> * If cross-platform consistency was desired, then we could consider making
> other platforms match this.  However, if there are issues which might
> prevent this happening for other platforms (eg, the risk of breaking other
> 3rd party tools, conventions on the platform ,etc) then it might be worth
> conceding these considerations apply equally to the Windows installs and we
> just live with this platform difference.

I don't think we're going to defeat the Unix army with their fleets of
distro packagers and torch wielding purists. If anyone's going to
move, my money's on Windows.