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I had to install a couple of alternative python versions on my dev machine at work and found it was easiest for me to just build from source and `make altinstal

I had to install a couple of alternative python versions on my dev machine at work and found it was easiest for me to just build from source and `make altinstall` with a custom prefix set. From there I just always work in virtual environments. This doesn't seem to have created any major problems for me, so something like asdf doesn't feel necessary. Is there something serious that I've missed or is this just a case of different preferred workflows?

eddyg 2y ago
If you have a requirement for multiple, specific Python versions, why not just use pyenv? https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv
- king_geedorah 2y ago
  That's not an unreasonable question. I don't really have a good answer to it outside of I found building and installing the couple that I needed myself to be fine and don't mind invoking as `python3.11` or what have you, since it's only different when I'm initialising my venvs.
bmitc 2y ago
> I had to install a couple of alternative python versions on my dev machine at work and found it was easiest for me to just build from source and `make altinstall` with a custom prefix set. That's basically what asdf does, just automated.
- king_geedorah 2y ago
  Does asdf automatically pull in its own copies of libraries for relevant functionality? For example I needed headers for readline in order to get that going on my compiled interpreters. If it avoids that then that could be a reason to use one over the other at least on new systems. Edit: Decided to peruse the code for the python asdf plugin myself and it seems to just use pyenv under the hood anyway, so I guess it's not really a question of what asdf does anyway.
e12e 2y ago
How do you update the list of installed python versions? Generally asdf shines when you need more than one system installed - say a html or SQL language server that depends on node in addition to python for your main app.
- king_geedorah 2y ago
  > How do you update the list of installed python versions? There are only three for me and I don't have a reason for more in the near future, so I just remember. > Generally asdf shines when you need more than one system installed Makes a little more sense to me.

eddyg 2y ago

If you have a requirement for multiple, specific Python versions, why not just use pyenv? https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv

king_geedorah 2y ago
That's not an unreasonable question. I don't really have a good answer to it outside of I found building and installing the couple that I needed myself to be fine and don't mind invoking as `python3.11` or what have you, since it's only different when I'm initialising my venvs.

bmitc 2y ago

> I had to install a couple of alternative python versions on my dev machine at work and found it was easiest for me to just build from source and `make altinstall` with a custom prefix set. That's basically what asdf does, just automated.

king_geedorah 2y ago
Does asdf automatically pull in its own copies of libraries for relevant functionality? For example I needed headers for readline in order to get that going on my compiled interpreters. If it avoids that then that could be a reason to use one over the other at least on new systems. Edit: Decided to peruse the code for the python asdf plugin myself and it seems to just use pyenv under the hood anyway, so I guess it's not really a question of what asdf does anyway.

e12e 2y ago

How do you update the list of installed python versions? Generally asdf shines when you need more than one system installed - say a html or SQL language server that depends on node in addition to python for your main app.

king_geedorah 2y ago
> How do you update the list of installed python versions? There are only three for me and I don't have a reason for more in the near future, so I just remember. > Generally asdf shines when you need more than one system installed Makes a little more sense to me.