[CJefferson]

In 2017, indeed everyone has added python2, but I assure you it wasn't that way when Arch originally did the python3 -> python rename.

While this is a small issue, this original thread used it as an example of how Arch is good and pragmatic. To me it seemed like the opposite -- it broke lots of code and packages for no good reason. Why should users of older distros have to add a symlink, when before Arch everyone could be sure that '/usr/bin/python' if present would be python2, and '/usr/bin/python3', if present, would be python3?

Now I agree that using virtualenv or similar is a good idea, but this actually caused the most problems for little 20 line python scripts, because often the users of those didn't even realise they were using python.

[Zancarius]

> I assure you it wasn't that way when Arch originally did the python3 -> python rename.

I disagree. I don't believe it was as painful as some make it out to be. The official packages were updated within a relatively short period of time, and while the AUR packages took longer they're also not officially supported. There was also a news announcement [1]. Honestly, I think of a few other transitions over my years of using Arch as being far, far more painful. The Python2 -> Python3 defaults change isn't one of them.

Although I would agree that Gentoo's approach was somewhat better via eselect, which I believe predated Arch's migration.

> Why should users of older distros have to add a symlink

You're right. That should be the responsibility of the package maintainer. Conversely, why should I, as a developer, have to continue assuming `/usr/bin/python` points to any particular version of Python when most distributions have migrated away from this anachronism? sed does magic, and you really should be using the appropriate symlink for your desired version anyway. Python 3 isn't new. I have a hard time seeing this as problematic because 1) things change and 2) the solution is easy. I'd be happy to entertain a use case where this actually has presented material difficulties, however.

> but this actually caused the most problems for little 20 line python scripts, because often the users of those didn't even realise they were using python.

Well, I do agree: It's a problem for the end user, but the solutions aren't difficult (if someone's using Linux, they probably know enough to fix it). So, either change the hashbang, add a symlink, and--failing that--complain to the package maintainer if it's been packaged up by the distro and the upstream software itself has changed (it should).

My recommendation for developers would be to use the appropriate /usr/bin/python* symlink. Nearly all distros have them in place now (including Ubuntu from a couple years ago). Perhaps assuming /usr/bin/python will always point to a fixed version is a matter of misplaced assumptions.

[1] https://www.archlinux.org/news/python-is-now-python-3/

[AsyncAwait]

> for no good reason.

There was good reason, to move to the latest version of a particular software, since that's kind of the whole philosophy of Arch, in fact the reason I originally switched to it in 2011 was because I had enough of me not being able to use the latest software on Ubuntu.

> Why should users of older distros have to add a symlink, when before Arch everyone could be sure that '/usr/bin/python' if present would be python2

If you made no effort to detect the actual version, it's wrong to assume that. It could've just as well been python 1.

[Zancarius]

> in fact the reason I originally switched to it in 2011 was because I had enough of me not being able to use the latest software on Ubuntu.

It's funny. My reason for switching to Arch was almost the opposite. I grew tired of having to rebuild the latest software in Gentoo every time I updated and ran into someone on Slashdot who encouraged me to give Arch a try. Sure, there's more prebuilt packages, mirrors, etc for Gentoo these days, but then you're in the same boat as everyone else (waiting for the package to be built).