Re: gnulib-tool: Use the Python implementation by default

[Bruno Haible]

Paul Eggert wrote:
> > Are there alternative Python implementations, which could be installed under
> > the name 'python3'?
> 
> On the platforms I currently have terminals open on (Fedora 40, Ubuntu 
> 23.10) it's called 'python'. You can also use 'python3' but I would 
> suggest trying 'python' first if you aren't already doing that. These 
> platforms do not have Python 2, which is typical nowadays.

We would gain nothing by trying 'python' before 'python3'.

  - In many recent systems, 'python3' exists and 'python' does not.
    This includes Ubuntu 23.10 and 24.04. (No idea why it's different
    on your machine.)

  - In some recent systems, 'python3' exists and 'python' is a symlink to it.
    Such as on Fedora 40.

  - In many older systems, 'python3' exists and 'python' exists as well and is
    a 2.7.x version.

I have not seen a single system where 'python' exists, is version 3, and
'python3' does not exist.

Bruno