ActiveState using different MS runtime files than official Python release? (was Re: Movable Python or ActivePython)

[python at bdurham.com]

In a recent thread ("Movable Python or ActivePython), Sridhar Ratnakumar
pointed out that the ActiveState Python releases can be downloaded as
ZIP files vs. MSI files. (Great idea - thank you ActiveState!)

> The .MSI installer does require installation, but there is also a .ZIP package which doesn't. It is not visible in the downloads page, but you can always get it here:
>
> http://downloads.activestate.com/ActivePython/releases/2.6.5.12/

I just took a look at the ActiveStatre 2.6.5.12 release (zip file
version) and noticed that this file does not include the MSVCR90.DLL run
time file - it includes MFC*.DLL files instead (and a different manifest
file as well).

Can anyone explain why the ActiveState release uses different MS Visual
C runtime files than the official Python Foundation's release of Python?

Thanks,
Malcolm


----- Original message -----
From: "Sridhar Ratnakumar" <sridharr at activestate.com>
To: "balzer" <nospam at news.eternal-september.org>
Cc: python-list at python.org
Date: Wed, 5 May 2010 11:19:35 -0700
Subject: Re: Movable Python or ActivePython


On 2010-05-05, at 5:47 AM, balzer wrote:

> I want Python pack that can run without being installed, mostly for testing programs. As I read, Movable Python can run without being installed. It needs no registry entries and knows the path to all the dlls (system or otherwise) that it uses.
> Whats about ActivePython http://www.activestate.com/activepython/downloads? Does it requires installation? 

The .MSI installer does require installation, but there is also a .ZIP
package which doesn't. It is not visible in the downloads page, but you
can always get it here:

    http://downloads.activestate.com/ActivePython/releases/2.6.5.12/
    (substitute with latest version)

When I just tried the "ActivePython-2.6.5.12-win64-x64.zip" on my Win7
x64 machine - by extracting and running python.exe (from INSTALLDIR/)
without installing - it just worked.

-srid