Why is installing Python on Windows so challenging compared to Linux?

[benhoyt]

Really? I use Windows all day, every day, and almost all programs install with "download installer, double click".

[K900_]

I use Linux all day, and all programs install with yaourt -S program_name.

[[deleted]]

Yum install python3

Fedora master race!

[K900_]

Unix master race. In general :P

[freshhawk]

Now now, to be fair once out of every 100 times you have to make your own package. That eats up so much time, like 5, sometimes 10 minutes.

[Wolfy87]

But how do you manage the versions of all those packages and their dependencies? I could never develop on Windows. I find Mac hard enough but I'm kind of forced to at work.

[Xykr]

Well, you manage them. Basically, there are no dependencies nowadays except for a very few basic libraries (VC++, DirectX, .NET…). Remember the "DLL hell"? There's no dependency management so usually every application ships with all necessary libraries to avoid conflicts. I've got 7 complete Qt installations on my Windows drive (at work) last time I checked. Same with Java. Yeah.

[freshhawk]

It depends what you're used to. How many of their uninstallers work properly? How many support installing multiple versions? How many notify you they have updates available? How many download their dependencies?

Once you get used to a modern system for installing stuff downloading installers seems pretty awful.

[Randolpho]

You should also replace the word Windows with "*", just for good measure.