The PEP for this change is here [0] and discussion of it is here [1]. Both are very long and seem to represent a huge amount of complexity, apparently to make installing Python easier for novices?
But what about those of us who listened to Rich Hickey and prefer "simple" over "easy"? With the executable installer no longer available, how do I get a copy of python.exe, python316.dll etc onto my machine so that `C:\Python316\python.exe <script>` works, without having to think about `py`, `pymanager`, Windows Store etc?
With this change of policy the foundation does not "have any control or influence over what WinGet does", one of the first class methods to install python.
Ah, going back to "ActiveState Python". "ActiveState Python" is 100% compatible with community Python but is automatically built from vetted source code using a secure, SLSA-compliant build service in order to ensure its security and integrity. Secure your Python software supply chain. Contact our sales team for a monthly subscription plan.
WinGet and potentially MSIX have a glaring hole that should make this a no-no: programs installed that way don't work correctly via native Windows SSH server. If I remember correctly, the scenarios that fail are: installing using WinGet via SSH fails, updating using WinGet via SSH breaks the executable shims, and if Windows Store updates package, you can't use executable shims from SSH until reboot.
This is pretty terrible for offline deployment. An install manager is useless for offline systems.
For folks who don’t want any hassles, there’s WinPython. It’s a portable Python distribution à la Anaconda. The “whl” flavor includes a nice wheelhouse of packages that you can use as a flat index for your venvs.
rip to the .exe installer - honestly overdue, since python on windows has been a rite of passage in suffering for too long, and leaning into winget/store is the right call
They should honestly just instead back `scoop` as the default way to install Python on Windows. It's clean, sits nicely in userspace and handles CLI execution aliases elegantly.
Not a windows user so knowledge is a bit fuzzy, but I remember the one of the advantages of MSIX being that the actual installers have less system access, but not sure if the applications once installed are any different.
Yeah with MSIX, the security is better for end users, but the trade off is there's a lot less flexibility for developers (limits on custom installs, accessing registry, Custom Actions, etc.) This works out fine for most desktop apps, and MSI is still used and supported.
They don't have to be. I have a traditional non-sandboxed app with an MSIX installer. It's less flexible than MSI but it doesn't mandate a sandbox for the installed application.
The PEP for this change is here [0] and discussion of it is here [1]. Both are very long and seem to represent a huge amount of complexity, apparently to make installing Python easier for novices?
But what about those of us who listened to Rich Hickey and prefer "simple" over "easy"? With the executable installer no longer available, how do I get a copy of python.exe, python316.dll etc onto my machine so that `C:\Python316\python.exe <script>` works, without having to think about `py`, `pymanager`, Windows Store etc?
[0] https://peps.python.org/pep-0773/
[1] https://discuss.python.org/t/pep-773-a-python-installation-m...
With this change of policy the foundation does not "have any control or influence over what WinGet does", one of the first class methods to install python.
https://github.com/python/pymanager/issues/287
> To install using WinGet, the command is "winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T"
Is the package name on purpose?
Yes.
winget install ICURAIDI0TFU seemed unsuitable for production.
winget install 8NDEADBEEF9N offended some.
winget install 0%U#I#$#$$## had too much hash and blow for some US states.
winget install python3.11 was too obvious.
No?
In the case of 3.11 'winget install python.python.3.11' works just fine (Community Repository).
MS decided to look at all good practices in package repository management and don't do them
Hey, it's quite an improvement over GUIDs!
The package name was Python Install Manager. 9NQ7512CXL7T was the Microsoft Store ID.
Ah, going back to "ActiveState Python". "ActiveState Python" is 100% compatible with community Python but is automatically built from vetted source code using a secure, SLSA-compliant build service in order to ensure its security and integrity. Secure your Python software supply chain. Contact our sales team for a monthly subscription plan.
I've been using uv to manage python with great success, but yeah, now that Astral has been aquired, it sort of makes me a little bit uneasy I admit.
WinGet and potentially MSIX have a glaring hole that should make this a no-no: programs installed that way don't work correctly via native Windows SSH server. If I remember correctly, the scenarios that fail are: installing using WinGet via SSH fails, updating using WinGet via SSH breaks the executable shims, and if Windows Store updates package, you can't use executable shims from SSH until reboot.
> Python install manager will automatically update within a day of an update being released
Totally something that someone in his right mind will not want to.
Also impatiently waiting for the day that the org will be blocked on the store so that the morons that decided that can be rewarded...
Also, how can you do an offline install?
For an offline install on Windows, stick the Python .exe in `uv`'s executable directory[1].
[1] https://docs.astral.sh/uv/reference/storage/#executable-dire...
This is pretty terrible for offline deployment. An install manager is useless for offline systems.
For folks who don’t want any hassles, there’s WinPython. It’s a portable Python distribution à la Anaconda. The “whl” flavor includes a nice wheelhouse of packages that you can use as a flat index for your venvs.
rip to the .exe installer - honestly overdue, since python on windows has been a rite of passage in suffering for too long, and leaning into winget/store is the right call
> winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T
LOL
They should honestly just instead back `scoop` as the default way to install Python on Windows. It's clean, sits nicely in userspace and handles CLI execution aliases elegantly.
> To install using WinGet, the command is winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T.
so ergonomic!
So now you're forced to use Microslop Store to get Python? At the very least they could offer .msix files to download and use.
"Use of the Store app or the MSIX package is recommended."
There's a big ole green download link on there for the MSIX lol.
MSIX is what ships on the store. And some devs just use it as an installer as well. By the way aren’t MSIX installed apps sandboxed?
Not a windows user so knowledge is a bit fuzzy, but I remember the one of the advantages of MSIX being that the actual installers have less system access, but not sure if the applications once installed are any different.
Yeah with MSIX, the security is better for end users, but the trade off is there's a lot less flexibility for developers (limits on custom installs, accessing registry, Custom Actions, etc.) This works out fine for most desktop apps, and MSI is still used and supported.
They don't have to be. I have a traditional non-sandboxed app with an MSIX installer. It's less flexible than MSI but it doesn't mandate a sandbox for the installed application.