Should intelligently try to detect Python 2.7

[cwallenpoole]

Having to install a virtualenv to get a node project working is counter intuitive.

If you were using hasbin, you could change this:

39   findPython(python, function (err, found) {
 40     if (err) {
 41       callback(err)
 42     } else {
 43       python = found
 44       getNodeDir()
 45     }
 46   })

To:

 39   findPython(python, function (err, found) {
 40     if (err) {
 41       if (!(gyp.opts.python || process.env.PYTHON) && hasbin.sync('python2.7')) {
 42         python = 'python2.7'
 43       } else {
 44         callback(err)
 45         return;
 46       }
 47     }
 48
 49     python = found
 50     getNodeDir()
 51   })

• Node Version: 8
• Platform: OSX
• Compiler: Irreelvant
• Module: Irrelevant, happens with every related gyp module

Verbose output (from npm or node-gyp):

gyp ERR! configure error
gyp ERR! stack Error: Python executable "/Users/christopherallen-poole/anaconda/bin/python" is v3.5.2, which is not supported by gyp.
gyp ERR! stack You can pass the --python switch to point to Python >= v2.5.0 & < 3.0.0.
gyp ERR! stack     at PythonFinder.failPythonVersion (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/lib/configure.js:492:19)
gyp ERR! stack     at PythonFinder.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/lib/configure.js:474:14)
gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.exithandler (child_process.js:262:7)
gyp ERR! stack     at emitTwo (events.js:125:13)
gyp ERR! stack     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:213:7)
gyp ERR! stack     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:921:16)
gyp ERR! stack     at Socket.stream.socket.on (internal/child_process.js:348:11)
gyp ERR! stack     at emitOne (events.js:115:13)
gyp ERR! stack     at Socket.emit (events.js:210:7)
gyp ERR! stack     at Pipe._handle.close [as _onclose] (net.js:549:12)
gyp ERR! System Darwin 16.7.0
gyp ERR! command "/usr/local/bin/node" "/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/bin/node-gyp.js" "rebuild"

[bnoordhuis]

What version of node-gyp are you using? We already go to some lengths to find a suitable python binary, although currently it looks for 'python2', not 'python2.7' (because python 2.6 is acceptable too.)

[cjbj]

[@bnoordhuis if python 2.6 is acceptable, it would be nice if the README stated this, instead of saying 'v2.7 recommended']

[refack]

@cjbj I guess a PR with better wording would not be rejected 😉 (at worse some civil bikeshedding)

[gibfahn]

@bnoordhuis given your comment here: nodejs/node#14737 (comment), maybe we should consider python 2.6 doc-deprecated.

[bnoordhuis]

Well, 2.7 is recommended (I'd even say strongly recommended) but:

1. since we nominally still support node.js v0.10 and v0.12, and
2. since those node.js versions support python 2.6, therefore
3. node-gyp does too

[refack]

@cwallenpoole could you provide your node-gyp version? And if you are running it through npm, if possible the full npm-debug.log?

[bnoordhuis]

No follow-up, closing.