hwgern

Xcode users should probably be able to fix breakage and that /usr/bin/python is not used by MacOS for critical tasks.

I agree with most of your "Environment as Code" post. Virtual environments are overhyped and even experienced developers frequently have to fix their venv or repair their conda install. You get to depend on a tool that's not necessary and distracts from the original purpose of using the software.

On Unix, it is even trivial to have parallel installations.

Build two pythons:

  ./configure --prefix=/home/foo/a && make && make install
  make distclean
  ./configure --prefix=/home/foo/b && make && make install

Install packages:

  /home/foo/a/bin/python -m pip install bar
  /home/foo/b/bin/python -m pip install quux

This is completely isolated. You can do the same by using the Windows installer to install to different directories. If an installation breaks, remove it and reinstall.

My experience is that people who recommend various environment software often like strict bureaucratic procedures, or have a financial interest in pushing the software or are simply not experienced and do what they are told.