[Python-Dev] Python 3.4.2 MSI fails to install and run on Windows For Devices

[Paul Sokolovsky]

Hello,

Following recent discussion of keeping Windows matters to the main dev
list, I hope this message will be found useful. Please note that this
is not a bug report, mostly a FYI.

So, I tried to install Python 3.4.2 on an Intel Galileo board shipped
with Windows For Devices. Actually, I don't know if that's correct name
for this version of Windows, or rather it's Windows On Devices or
Windows IoT. Either way it's essentially a headless Windows, with
landing page at http://windowsondevices.com/ .

So, I couldn't install python-3.4.2.msi, because that Windows comes
without msiexec. Trying to install it via a redistributable
(WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe) fails without any error. At
which point I started to think that it may be because running any GUI
apps there is not supported.

I then installed the MSI with wine (I'm using Linux host), uploaded the
installed tree to the board via FTP, and also collected any dependent
DLLs from the system folder. python.exe exits immediately in start,
just as WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe.

Ironically, that board was gotten to test and better support Windows
port of MicroPython. It starts up and executes quick manual command
fine, and the reason I needed CPython there is to run MicroPython's
testsuite which depends on it.

As I mentioned, I don't consider this bug in CPython Windows build,
it's rather bug in the discussed Windows version, and I'll try to
figure out where to report it properly. But somehow I feel that
resolving the underlying issue (running msiexec, [arbitrary] other
applications) may take a while, and until then, Python is not usable on
this board ;-I.

So, until this issue is figured out, MicroPython already supports
this embedded Windows version better than CPython ;-).


-- 
Best regards,
 Paul                          mailto:pmiscml at gmail.com