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python-config.py should be part of the stdlib #77620

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python-config.py should be part of the stdlib#77620
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buildThe build process and cross-buildstdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directorytopic-sysconfigtype-featureA feature request or enhancement

Description

@pitrou
pitrou
opened on May 7, 2018
BPO 33439
Nosy @warsaw, @doko42, @gpshead, @ncoghlan, @pitrou, @encukou, @nanjekyejoannah, @shihai1991, @FFY00

Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2018-05-07.12:15:49.732>
labels = ['3.8', 'type-feature', 'library', 'build']
title = 'python-config.py should be part of the stdlib'
updated_at = <Date 2021-10-25.16:54:17.188>
user = 'https://github.com/pitrou'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2021-10-25.16:54:17.188>
actor = 'gregory.p.smith'
assignee = 'none'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['Build', 'Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2018-05-07.12:15:49.732>
creator = 'pitrou'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 33439
keywords = []
message_count = 7.0
messages = ['316264', '348546', '348558', '404883', '404901', '404930', '404985']
nosy_count = 9.0
nosy_names = ['barry', 'doko', 'gregory.p.smith', 'ncoghlan', 'pitrou', 'petr.viktorin', 'nanjekyejoannah', 'shihai1991', 'FFY00']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = None
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue33439'
versions = ['Python 3.8']

Activity

  1. pitrou commented on May 7, 2018

    @pitrou
    pitrou
    on May 7, 2018
    MemberAuthor

    Rather than (or in addition to) being a standalone script, python-config should be invokable as a stdlib module, e.g. "python -m sysconfig.config". This would prevent the risk of invoking the wrong script on PATH.

  2. pitrou
    added
    3.8 (EOL)end of life
    buildThe build process and cross-build
    stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directory
    type-featureA feature request or enhancement
    on May 7, 2018

  3. doko42 commented on Jul 27, 2019

    @doko42
    doko42
    on Jul 27, 2019
    Member

    what are the situations where the path for python and python-config is different?

    This proposal doesn't say anything how to retrieve the correct information for cross builds using this module. From my point of view, python-config should stay outside the standard library.

  4. shihai1991 commented on Jul 27, 2019

    @shihai1991
    shihai1991
    on Jul 27, 2019
    Member

    En, looks like just only makefile would call python-config.py.
    IMHO, if no out user call this script, looks it move to stdlib would be better.

  5. nanjekyejoannah commented on Oct 23, 2021

    @nanjekyejoannah
    nanjekyejoannah
    on Oct 23, 2021
    Contributor

    I posted on Python-dev (not sure if it will help), I wanted to do this in 2019 but looks like there is still no consensus yet.

  6. encukou commented on Oct 23, 2021

    @encukou
    encukou
    on Oct 23, 2021
    Member

    It seems it could be moved to sysconfig itself -- the CLI options from python-config would fit there nicely.

  7. nanjekyejoannah commented on Oct 24, 2021

    @nanjekyejoannah
    nanjekyejoannah
    on Oct 24, 2021
    Contributor

    Yes, this was also proposed here: https://bugs.python.org/issue11602

  8. gpshead commented on Oct 25, 2021

    @gpshead
    gpshead
    on Oct 25, 2021
    Member

    Misc/python-config.in ultimately becomes a Python script that prints things to stdout. It isn't written to be a module as is. Any work to make it one is effectively writing entirely new code to do what it does.

    To keep a single source of truth for python-config behavior instead of having two as we do today (as doko noted in bpo-16235), while still exposing the values it provides for use from Python I suggest:

    1. Get rid of the Misc/python-config.in python code.
    2. Use Misc/python-config.sh.in exclusively.
    3. Enhancing that to be able to generate a tiny data-only sysconfig.configure module.
    4. Invoke python-config.sh --generate-sysconfig-bits during build time to generate a sysconfig/configure.py.

    This should reduce the maintenance burden and is kinder to cross-compiliation builds (which we generally are lousy at supporting despite their importance to the world, so our bar today is merely "not regressing").

    All that said, in what contexts would having anything that python-config produces today be available from sysconfig be useful?

  9. ezio-melotti
    transferred this issue fromon Apr 10, 2022
  10. FFY00
    added
    3.12only security fixes
    topic-sysconfig
    and removed
    3.8 (EOL)end of life
    on Apr 3, 2023

  11. encukou commented on Aug 21, 2023

    @encukou
    encukou
    on Aug 21, 2023
    Member

    All that said, in what contexts would having anything that python-config produces today be available from sysconfig be useful?

    In contexts where your pythonX-config command doesn't match your Python. For example, in a venv.

  12. erlend-aasland
    added
    3.13only security fixes
    and removed
    3.12only security fixes
    on Jan 5, 2024
  13. StanFromIreland
    removed
    3.13only security fixes
    on Aug 12, 2025
  14. StanFromIreland
    marked python-config code should be in sysconfig #55811 as a duplicate of this issue on Aug 17, 2025
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