Description

tomergert

opened on Jan 25, 2025

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Feature or enhancement

Proposal:

In Lib/platform.py, there's a code aimed to determine the Windows version python runs in.

    for cmd in ('ver', 'command /c ver', 'cmd /c ver'):
        try:
            info = subprocess.check_output(cmd,
                                           stdin=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                                           stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                                           text=True,
                                           encoding="locale",
                                           shell=True)

As much as I understand, one shouldn't invoke whole new process just to question what OS version he runs at.

so just before invoking cmd.exe, we will try to question winapi directly.

# Load ntdll.dll and call RtlGetVersion
    ntdll = ctypes.WinDLL("ntdll")
    rtl_get_version = ntdll.RtlGetVersion
    rtl_get_version(ctypes.byref(os_version))

Has this already been discussed elsewhere?

No response given

Links to previous discussion of this feature:

No response

Linked PRs

• gh-129294: use winapi to determine win version before invoking cmd.exe #129295

Reacted by garoto

Activity

1. tomergert

   added

   type-featureA feature request or enhancementA feature request or enhancement

   on Jan 25, 2025
2. hugovk

   added

   OS-windows

   on Jan 25, 2025
3. encukou

   added

   performancePerformance or resource usagePerformance or resource usage

   on Jan 27, 2025
4. zooba commented on Jan 27, 2025

   

   zooba

   on Jan 27, 2025

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   This is already fallback code for if WMI doesn't work, and GetVersionEx is already provided by sys.getwindowsversion.

   I don't think there's anything to change here.
5. tomergert commented on Jan 28, 2025

   

   tomergert

   on Jan 28, 2025

   Author

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   This is already fallback code for if WMI doesn't work, and GetVersionEx is already provided by sys.getwindowsversion.

   I don't think there's anything to change here.

   Thank you,. I addressed your comment in the PR
   #129295 (comment)
6. zware commented on Jul 18, 2026

   

   zware

   on Jul 18, 2026

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   In agreement with Steve, I'm going to close this issue. We may be at the point that we can remove the subprocess-based fallback entirely, but being the fallback fallback I'm not sure it's worth a change. Either way it's not a pressing concern, or a performance issue.
7. zware

   closed this as not plannedon Jul 18, 2026

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