[Python-Dev] 3.5 release schedule PEP

["Martin v. Löwis"]

Am 24.09.14 14:34, schrieb Antoine Pitrou:
> On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 17:12:35 +1000
> Nick Coghlan <ncoghlan at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 24 Sep 2014 15:15, "Tim Golden" <mail at timgolden.me.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>> On 23/09/2014 18:05, Steve Dower wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I'm also considering/experimenting with installing into "Program
>>>> Files" by default, but I suspect that isn't going to work out yet.
>>>

>> It might be better to offer that as a supported option in 3.5, and then
>> make it the default in 3.6.
> 
> I would be surprised if this weren't already a supported option. Decent
> Windows installers generally allow you to override the installation
> path (it's been a while I haven't used the Windows Python installer,
> sorry).

I regularly test whether it installs properly into Program Files
(although regularly actually means "for every major release"). Also,
users regularly report if it doesn't work.

As it turns out, 3.4 indeed got a new problem when installing into
Program Files, namely that pip would not install. As discussed elsewhere
in this thread, installation into Program Files requires elevated
privileges, which meant that I had to reschedule the pip installation
procedure within the MSI to run in the system context.

> 
> I think making the move in 3.5 would be a good idea. Experts can
> override the installation path and choose C:\PythonXY. There's no
> actual breakage since the path changes for every major release, anyway
> (i.e. people would have had to change the path from "C:\Python34" to
> "C:\Python35"; instead, they will have to change it to "C:\Program
> Files\Python35").

I expect breakage elsewhere (as also discussed):
- some code will fail because of the space in the path
- some installations will fail because of the restricted access to
  Program Files (which, of course, is also the main reason why people
  want that install location)

It's of course now up to Steve to rule on the default install location;
if he changes it, he will get lots of both praise and blame, if he
doesn't change it, he will get a little blame for continuing the
tradition.

Regards,
Martin