Re: “winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T”

On Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:53:37 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

Guess what that command does
<https://www.infoworld.com/article/4001983/get-started-with-the-new-

python-installation-manager.html>:

it installs the new Python Installation Manager, which is supposed to
make Python easier to use under Windows. Quote:
 
    You can also use the WinGet package manager: winget install
    9NQ7512CXL7T. (Note that in the future, this alias may be changed to
    something more readable.)
 
Remember, this is Microsoft’s attempt to make addon software on Dimdows
as easy to install and keep up-to-date as package managers on Linux
distros. Did you ever see a Linux distro that offered a package name
like “9NQ7512CXL7T”? We prefer to use package names assigned by humans,
not randomly output from random number generators (or wherever the hell
that monstrosity came from).

The rant would be more meaningful had you not skipped the part about
installing it from the Microsoft Store. The process is could be better
defined since you have to uninstall the existing py.

It's a nice tool, similar to nvm (node version manager). I have Python
3.11 and 3.12 already installed on the Windows box; py installed 3.14 and
made it the default.

pyenv is a third party script for Linux that is similar but installing it
is a little more complex.

curl -fsSL https://pyenv.run | bash

echo 'export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo '[[ -d $PYENV_ROOT/bin ]] && export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"' >>
~/.bashrc
echo 'eval "$(pyenv init - bash)"' >> ~/.bashrc

echo 'export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"' >> ~/.profile
echo '[[ -d $PYENV_ROOT/bin ]] && export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"' >>
~/.profile
echo 'eval "$(pyenv init - bash)"' >> ~/.profile

Actually version management on Linux can be a pain in the ass. I spent
some time yesterday sorting out PostgresSQL. After several upgrades I have
14, 15, 16, and 17. The servers come up on ports 5432, 5433, 5434, and
5435 respectively.  Pgadmin4 got whacked by one of the upgrades and
getting it installed and connected to the right (17) server was fun.