Avoid selecting prerelease Python installations without opt-in (#7300)

Similar to our semantics for packages with pre-release versions.

We will not use prerelease versions unless there are only prerelease
versions available, a specific version is requested,
or the prerelease version is found in a reasonable source (active
environment, explicit path, etc. but not `PATH`).

For example, `uv python install 3.13 && uv run python --version` will no
longer use `3.13.0rc2` unless that is the only Python version available,
`--python 3.13` is used, or that's the Python version that is present in
`.venv`.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -1405,7 +1405,7 @@ jobs:
         run: echo $(which python3.13)
 
       - name: "Validate global Python install"
-        run: python3.13 scripts/check_system_python.py --uv ./uv
+        run: python3.13 scripts/check_system_python.py --uv ./uv --python 3.13
 
   system-test-conda:
     timeout-minutes: 10

crates/uv-python/src/discovery.rs

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use thiserror::Error;
 use tracing::{debug, instrument, trace};
 use which::{which, which_all};
 
-use pep440_rs::{Version, VersionSpecifiers};
+use pep440_rs::{Version, VersionSpecifier, VersionSpecifiers};
 use uv_cache::Cache;
 use uv_fs::Simplified;
 use uv_warnings::warn_user_once;
@@ -877,19 +877,43 @@ pub(crate) fn find_python_installation(
     preference: PythonPreference,
     cache: &Cache,
 ) -> Result<FindPythonResult, Error> {
-    let mut installations = find_python_installations(request, environments, preference, cache);
-    if let Some(result) = installations.find(|result| {
-        // Return the first critical discovery error or result
-        result.as_ref().err().map_or(true, Error::is_critical)
-    }) {
-        result
-    } else {
-        Ok(FindPythonResult::Err(PythonNotFound {
-            request: request.clone(),
-            environment_preference: environments,
-            python_preference: preference,
-        }))
+    let installations = find_python_installations(request, environments, preference, cache);
+    let mut first_prerelease = None;
+    for result in installations {
+        // Iterate until the first critical error or happy result
+        if !result.as_ref().err().map_or(true, Error::is_critical) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        // If it's an error, we're done.
+        let Ok(Ok(ref installation)) = result else {
+            return result;
+        };
+
+        // If it's a pre-release, and pre-releases aren't allowed skip it but store it for later
+        if installation.python_version().pre().is_some()
+            && !request.allows_prereleases()
+            && !installation.source.allows_prereleases()
+        {
+            debug!("Skipping pre-release {}", installation.key());
+            first_prerelease = Some(installation.clone());
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        // If we didn't skip it, this is the installation to use
+        return result;
     }
+
+    // If we only found pre-releases, they're implicitly allowed and we should return the first one
+    if let Some(installation) = first_prerelease {
+        return Ok(Ok(installation));
+    }
+
+    Ok(FindPythonResult::Err(PythonNotFound {
+        request: request.clone(),
+        environment_preference: environments,
+        python_preference: preference,
+    }))
 }
 
 /// Find the best-matching Python installation.
@@ -1296,6 +1320,17 @@ impl PythonRequest {
         }
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn allows_prereleases(&self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            Self::Any => false,
+            Self::Version(version) => version.allows_prereleases(),
+            Self::Directory(_) | Self::File(_) | Self::ExecutableName(_) => true,
+            Self::Implementation(_) => false,
+            Self::ImplementationVersion(_, _) => true,
+            Self::Key(request) => request.allows_prereleases(),
+        }
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn is_explicit_system(&self) -> bool {
         matches!(self, Self::File(_) | Self::Directory(_))
     }
@@ -1320,9 +1355,21 @@ impl PythonRequest {
 }
 
 impl PythonSource {
-    pub fn is_managed(&self) -> bool {
+    pub fn is_managed(self) -> bool {
         matches!(self, Self::Managed)
     }
+
+    /// Whether a pre-release Python installation from the source should be used without opt-in.
+    pub(crate) fn allows_prereleases(self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            Self::Managed | Self::Registry | Self::SearchPath | Self::MicrosoftStore => false,
+            Self::CondaPrefix
+            | Self::ProvidedPath
+            | Self::ParentInterpreter
+            | Self::ActiveEnvironment
+            | Self::DiscoveredEnvironment => true,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl PythonPreference {
@@ -1589,6 +1636,17 @@ impl VersionRequest {
             Self::Range(_) => self,
         }
     }
+
+    /// Whether this request should allow selection of pre-release versions.
+    pub(crate) fn allows_prereleases(&self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            Self::Any => false,
+            Self::Major(_) => true,
+            Self::MajorMinor(..) => true,
+            Self::MajorMinorPatch(..) => true,
+            Self::Range(specifiers) => specifiers.iter().any(VersionSpecifier::any_prerelease),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl FromStr for VersionRequest {

docs/concepts/python-versions.md

@@ -189,6 +189,17 @@ a system Python version, uv will use the first compatible version — not the ne
 If a Python version cannot be found on the system, uv will check for a compatible managed Python
 version download.
 
+### Python pre-releases
+
+Python pre-releases will not be selected by default. Python pre-releases will be used if there is no
+other available installation matching the request. For example, if only a pre-release version is
+available it will be used but otherwise a stable release version will be used. Similarly, if the
+path to a pre-release Python executable is provided then no other Python version matches the request
+and the pre-release version will be used.
+
+If a pre-release Python version is available and matches the request, uv will not download a stable
+Python version instead.
+
 ## Disabling automatic Python downloads
 
 By default, uv will automatically download Python versions when needed.