[Python-Dev] PEP 405 (venv) - why does it copy the DLLs on Windows

[Richard Oudkerk]

On 23/03/2013 10:06am, Paul Moore wrote:
>> One example of a non-system-wide installation is a source build of Python.
>> PEP 405 venvs created from a source build should work in the same way as venvs
>> created using an installed Python.
>
> Thanks. I hadn't thought of that case. However, I'm still not entirely
> clear *why* the DLLs need to be copied. I'll set up a source build and
> test virtualenv against it to see if it fails. Assuming it does, I
> should be able to work out what the issue is from that.

Also, couldn't hard links be used instead of copying?  (This will fail 
if not on the same NTFS partition, but then one can copy as a fallback.)

-- 
Richard