Path: csiph.com!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: rbowman Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: Python: A Little Trick For Every Need Date: 3 Feb 2026 02:58:31 GMT Lines: 55 Message-ID: References: <10kl2sr$8rkl$3@dont-email.me> <31stmk1pd8a7q0ekv0is4bd1l5aorcgo95@4ax.com> <9hlumk1lodkjlm9a6egbo2fa79f85v6mad@4ax.com> <10lqdk2$n03u$1@dont-email.me> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net sjWnHTJbxV46U6SsM5M84gJEZMUPL3xeaEkGHP3kwwpxIBeJIM Cancel-Lock: sha1:ozmppELdWKkRadoBJKHz3U4LTJM= sha256:W+GK1XYIlHnzmtv+ETBwityVwNekBKmCbqF9PF8lxU0= User-Agent: Pan/0.162 (Pokrosvk) Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:81705 On Mon, 2 Feb 2026 20:50:44 -0500, c186282 wrote: > On 2/2/26 09:50, Rich wrote: >> Steve Hayes wrote: >>> On Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:42:08 +0000, Richard Kettlewell >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Steve Hayes writes: >>>>> The Natural Philosopher wrote: >>>>>> On 19/01/2026 04:10, c186282 wrote: >>>>>>> I know some here HATE Python ... but it really IS almost >>>>>>> infinitely useful these days. The look and feel is sort of BASIC, >>>>>>> sort of FORTRAN, sort of Pascal++. >>>>>>> It Just Works. >>>>>> >>>>>> I've not used any of those languages in decades, either. >>>>> >>>>> I've played with Python, BASIC and Pascal. >>>>> >>>>> The thing I don't understand about Python is why it is so popular >>>>> when it is an interpreted rather than a compiled language, so it >>>>> can't produce stand-alone programs. >>>> >>>> That’s debatable, but either way, most people don’t care about that >>>> enough to impact language choice. >>> >>> So do all versions of Linux come with a built-in Python interpreter? >> >> No version of Linux includes any built-in languages (unless you >> consider the fancy bpf code a "language"). "Linux" is just the kernel, >> nothing more. >> >> Most Linux **distributions** include Python (and a whole host of other >> languages) in their repositories that one can install on one's system. > > Strictly speaking, correct. > > However who the fuck uses the bare kernel ? The world works with > distros - and they all contain GCC at minimum, now also Python. Pedants will be pedantic. It's usually followed by a rant about GNU/Linux. The unicorn called GNU/Hurd isn't mentioned very often. The FSF isn't enthused about the one distro that might sort of work. "The Free Software Foundation can't recommend Debian GNU/Hurd or the Arch distribution; we must suppose that they don't meet our freedom standards any more than Debian GNU/Linux and the Arch distribution based on the Linux kernel do. Likewise we have not evaluated other GNU/Hurd distributions in regard to ethical criteria. Please visit http:// www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html to learn what those standards are." https://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd/running/distrib.html