Add Windows 10/11 support for Python from MS Store (solution inside)

[camAtGitHub]

Problem

As mentioned in my comment and solution on another post On Windows 10/11 and using Python3 from the Microsoft Store, the python3.exe installed into $PATH is a 0 byte sized file that i s actually a reparse point (like a hardlink) to a semi-dynamic path to the exe installed elsewhere by the app store.

Checking for ourselves we can see:

C:\Users\cam\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps>fsutil reparsepoint /?
/? is an invalid parameter.
---- REPARSEPOINT Commands Supported ----

delete          Delete a reparse point
query           Query a reparse point

C:\Users\cam\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps>fsutil reparsepoint query python.exe
Reparse Tag Value : 0x8000001b
Tag value: Microsoft

Reparse Data Length: 0x1c2
Reparse Data:
0000:  03 00 00 00 50 00 79 00  74 00 68 00 6f 00 6e 00  ....P.y.t.h.o.n.
0010:  53 00 6f 00 66 00 74 00  77 00 61 00 72 00 65 00  S.o.f.t.w.a.r.e.
0020:  46 00 6f 00 75 00 6e 00  64 00 61 00 74 00 69 00  F.o.u.n.d.a.t.i.
0030:  6f 00 6e 00 2e 00 50 00  79 00 74 00 68 00 6f 00  o.n...P.y.t.h.o.
0040:  6e 00 2e 00 33 00 2e 00  31 00 31 00 5f 00 71 00  n...3...1.1._.q.
0050:  62 00 7a 00 35 00 6e 00  32 00 6b 00 66 00 72 00  b.z.5.n.2.k.f.r.
0060:  61 00 38 00 70 00 30 00  00 00 50 00 79 00 74 00  a.8.p.0...P.y.t.
0070:  68 00 6f 00 6e 00 53 00  6f 00 66 00 74 00 77 00  h.o.n.S.o.f.t.w.
0080:  61 00 72 00 65 00 46 00  6f 00 75 00 6e 00 64 00  a.r.e.F.o.u.n.d.
0090:  61 00 74 00 69 00 6f 00  6e 00 2e 00 50 00 79 00  a.t.i.o.n...P.y.
00a0:  74 00 68 00 6f 00 6e 00  2e 00 33 00 2e 00 31 00  t.h.o.n...3...1.
00b0:  31 00 5f 00 71 00 62 00  7a 00 35 00 6e 00 32 00  1._.q.b.z.5.n.2.
00c0:  6b 00 66 00 72 00 61 00  38 00 70 00 30 00 21 00  k.f.r.a.8.p.0.!.
00d0:  50 00 79 00 74 00 68 00  6f 00 6e 00 00 00 43 00  P.y.t.h.o.n...C.
00e0:  3a 00 5c 00 50 00 72 00  6f 00 67 00 72 00 61 00  :.\.P.r.o.g.r.a.
00f0:  6d 00 20 00 46 00 69 00  6c 00 65 00 73 00 5c 00  m. .F.i.l.e.s.\.
0100:  57 00 69 00 6e 00 64 00  6f 00 77 00 73 00 41 00  W.i.n.d.o.w.s.A.
0110:  70 00 70 00 73 00 5c 00  50 00 79 00 74 00 68 00  p.p.s.\.P.y.t.h.
0120:  6f 00 6e 00 53 00 6f 00  66 00 74 00 77 00 61 00  o.n.S.o.f.t.w.a.
0130:  72 00 65 00 46 00 6f 00  75 00 6e 00 64 00 61 00  r.e.F.o.u.n.d.a.
0140:  74 00 69 00 6f 00 6e 00  2e 00 50 00 79 00 74 00  t.i.o.n...P.y.t.
0150:  68 00 6f 00 6e 00 2e 00  33 00 2e 00 31 00 31 00  h.o.n...3...1.1.
0160:  5f 00 33 00 2e 00 31 00  31 00 2e 00 32 00 32 00  _.3...1.1...2.2.
0170:  38 00 38 00 2e 00 30 00  5f 00 78 00 36 00 34 00  8.8...0._.x.6.4.
0180:  5f 00 5f 00 71 00 62 00  7a 00 35 00 6e 00 32 00  _._.q.b.z.5.n.2.
0190:  6b 00 66 00 72 00 61 00  38 00 70 00 30 00 5c 00  k.f.r.a.8.p.0.\.
01a0:  70 00 79 00 74 00 68 00  6f 00 6e 00 33 00 2e 00  p.y.t.h.o.n.3...
01b0:  31 00 31 00 2e 00 65 00  78 00 65 00 00 00 30 00  1.1...e.x.e...0.
01c0:  00 00

So thats the problem in a nutshell. (More details on my original comment).
The "Feature Request" would be to add support to follow(?) / support(?) reparse points to determine the correct exe to use.

Thanks

Expected behavior

When python3.exe is found in $PATH on Windows 10/11 Neovim supports it 'out of the box'.

[zeertzjq]

It seems that libuv doesn't follow reparse points: libuv/libuv#1980 (comment)

But I may be understanding that comment incorrectly.

[camAtGitHub]

Hello,
to me is seems like it is supported - but I'm no expert...
For example the below commit talks explicitly about adding support for the 'microsoft' tagged reparse points (ie not symlink tagged reparse points).

libuv/libuv#2812 - "win, fs: add IO_REPARSE_TAG_APPEXECLINK support"

[zeertzjq]

#23808 seems related

[camAtGitHub]

Sure, seems related but IMHO not a blocker, as we arent editing the file merely following it, to the 'real' path....?
Anyway I'll leave it up to you guys (the dev team) as to whether or not to try and implement.

It was just a nice feature request to help simplify the running for Neovim on Windows for less technical users.
Please reach out if want my two cents on anything - otherwise I'll probably just watch from the sidelines.
Thanx and Cheers!

[zeertzjq]

This doesn't seems possible because Nvim doesn't have the permission to access these files: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/56974927/permission-denied-trying-to-run-python-on-windows-10

There is nothing that can be done in Nvim to make this work.

[zeertzjq]

Also libuv/libuv#3874