The other day I was helping my brother setup Python on his Windows 10 computer. So I went to python.org and installed it as usual, then why I typed "python" in the console, it launched the Microsoft Store app and took me to the download page for their distribution of Python.

Apparently, it's some kind of alias "feature" they added to Windows at some point. What legitimate reason is there for that if not to try and trick people into thinking they need to download the Microsoft Store version of Python (which probably includes analytics/telemetry not in a standard Python distribution)?

Google, Apple, etc are all shameless, anti-competitive monopolists. Anyone can see that because they make no attempts to hide what they're doing. Microsoft's intentions are exactly the same, but they're a lot sneakier about it because they've already been burned in the past for their bad behavior.

People who think the new Microsoft is different! because they released a free text editor and other open source projects are naive. Microsoft wants to lock you into their platforms and technologies like Apple, and wants to collect and monetize your personal data like Google.

The Microsoft Store version is managed by the PSF and is a legitimate method of getting it. It went to that because you didn't choose the option to add python to the PATH, so the console didn't have a python executable to run.

I did choose to add it to the PATH, and even double checked the variable manually.

The only way to get it to use my installed version was to disable that alias feature in the Windows 10 settings app.

That alias really is supposed to go away when you install Python from any install path (Store or classic EXE installer), but it does have more bugs with the EXE installer. (The alias feature is used more generally in Store installs, so it's more of a direct alias swap when installed that way.)

> Apparently, it's some kind of alias "feature" they added to Windows at some point. What legitimate reason is there for that

It's a loophole so they don't have to ship Windows with a version of Python and then have to support it for how long that version of Windows will be supported. So instead the user gets it from the store (and it's upgraded via the store).

Same thing they did for years "Add or Remove features" where, to enable certain things they wouldn't bloat the base OS and made them optional download.

Why Python though? If a user knows what Python is, they probably know enough about technology to install it themselves.

Are there any Windows 10 features that require Python?

> Why Python though? If a user knows what Python is, they probably know enough about technology to install it themselves.

Yes and no, it's frequently used as an intro language. I could see advanced users being annoyed by this but I'm not certain they are the target demographic.

Yeah and it was a collaboration between Microsoft and the PSF. A lot of tutorials written for macOS and Linux literally do start with "type in python and see what happens next" and both Microsoft and the PSF were seeing complaints that on Windows nothing happened but an error message. Microsoft didn't want the maintenance burden (that macOS and Linux has) of supporting and shipping an officially bundled version (and accidentally stuck on older releases as things start to depend on it or what have you), and meanwhile the PSF realized they were excited to get Python officially into the Store (and take on the maintenance of that) as possibly the easiest way to bring in new users on Windows. (As someone who has used Python on Windows for a very long time, I welcome the Store version as really the easiest install path to date.)

(ETA: The other reason Microsoft is less than willing to include scripting languages out of the box is past bad experiences with WScript. Doing it a shortcut to the Store install actually is a decent compromise from the malware we'd possibly see if Python scripts worked out of the box in fresh Windows installs.)

A big part of this is because people see Nadella as some kind of angel after the reign of terror by Ballmer but that's only on a relative scale. Same shit, different day. The second component is Bill Gates' philantropism, which is used to whitewash a whole pile of despicable behavior (as the CEO of Microsoft, never mind the rest).

Holy shit, you typed "python" in a console window so the OS looked for an existing install, didn't find one, so it tried to help you! How evil and awful! Burn M$$$$ down! unknown command 'python' is the only proper way to respond!

And for every new generation of know-nothings that grows up to replace the veterans of wars long past, all the old battles will need to be re-fought... Sigh. I'm too old for this shit; geroffmylawn.

That’s not what happened. Python was installed and on the PATH, it just refused to use it as long as that alias check box was turned on in system settings.

Try it yourself.