Require opt-in to use alternative Python implementations

crates/uv-python/src/discovery.rs

@@ -934,21 +934,44 @@ pub(crate) fn find_python_installation(
             return result;
         };
 
-        // If it's a pre-release, and pre-releases aren't allowed skip it but store it for later
+        // Check if we need to skip the interpreter because it is "not allowed", e.g., if it is a
+        // pre-release version or an alternative implementation, using it requires opt-in.
+
+        // If the interpreter has a default executable name, e.g. `python`, and was found on the
+        // search path, we consider this opt-in to use it.
+        let has_default_executable_name = installation.interpreter.has_default_executable_name()
+            && installation.source == PythonSource::SearchPath;
+
+        // If it's a pre-release and pre-releases aren't allowed, skip it — but store it for later
+        // since we'll use a pre-release if no other versions are available.
         if installation.python_version().pre().is_some()
             && !request.allows_prereleases()
             && !installation.source.allows_prereleases()
+            && !has_default_executable_name
         {
             debug!("Skipping pre-release {}", installation.key());
             first_prerelease = Some(installation.clone());
             continue;
         }
 
+        // If it's an alternative implementation and alternative implementations aren't allowed,
+        // skip it. Note we avoid querying these interpreters at all if they're on the search path
+        // and are not requested, but other sources such as the managed installations will include
+        // them.
+        if installation.is_alternative_implementation()
+            && !request.allows_alternative_implementations()
+            && !installation.source.allows_alternative_implementations()
+            && !has_default_executable_name
+        {
+            debug!("Skipping alternative implementation {}", installation.key());
+            continue;
+        }
+
         // If we didn't skip it, this is the installation to use
         return result;
     }
 
-    // If we only found pre-releases, they're implicitly allowed and we should return the first one
+    // If we only found pre-releases, they're implicitly allowed and we should return the first one.
     if let Some(installation) = first_prerelease {
         return Ok(Ok(installation));
     }
@@ -1205,10 +1228,7 @@ impl PythonRequest {
         for implementation in
             ImplementationName::long_names().chain(ImplementationName::short_names())
         {
-            if let Some(remainder) = value
-                .to_ascii_lowercase()
-                .strip_prefix(Into::<&str>::into(implementation))
-            {
+            if let Some(remainder) = value.to_ascii_lowercase().strip_prefix(implementation) {
                 // e.g. `pypy`
                 if remainder.is_empty() {
                     return Self::Implementation(
@@ -1369,6 +1389,7 @@ impl PythonRequest {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Whether this request opts-in to a pre-release Python version.
     pub(crate) fn allows_prereleases(&self) -> bool {
         match self {
             Self::Default => false,
@@ -1381,6 +1402,19 @@ impl PythonRequest {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Whether this request opts-in to an alternative Python implementation, e.g., PyPy.
+    pub(crate) fn allows_alternative_implementations(&self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            Self::Default => false,
+            Self::Any => true,
+            Self::Version(_) => false,
+            Self::Directory(_) | Self::File(_) | Self::ExecutableName(_) => true,
+            Self::Implementation(_) => true,
+            Self::ImplementationVersion(_, _) => true,
+            Self::Key(request) => request.allows_alternative_implementations(),
+        }
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn is_explicit_system(&self) -> bool {
         matches!(self, Self::File(_) | Self::Directory(_))
     }
@@ -1410,7 +1444,7 @@ impl PythonSource {
         matches!(self, Self::Managed)
     }
 
-    /// Whether a pre-release Python installation from the source should be used without opt-in.
+    /// Whether a pre-release Python installation from this source can be used without opt-in.
     pub(crate) fn allows_prereleases(self) -> bool {
         match self {
             Self::Managed | Self::Registry | Self::MicrosoftStore => false,
@@ -1422,6 +1456,18 @@ impl PythonSource {
             | Self::DiscoveredEnvironment => true,
         }
     }
+
+    /// Whether an alternative Python implementation from this source can be used without opt-in.
+    pub(crate) fn allows_alternative_implementations(self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            Self::Managed | Self::Registry | Self::SearchPath | Self::MicrosoftStore => false,
+            Self::CondaPrefix
+            | Self::ProvidedPath
+            | Self::ParentInterpreter
+            | Self::ActiveEnvironment
+            | Self::DiscoveredEnvironment => true,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl PythonPreference {

crates/uv-python/src/downloads.rs

@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ impl PythonDownloadRequest {
         self.satisfied_by_key(download.key())
     }
 
+    /// Whether this download request opts-in to pre-release Python versions.
     pub fn allows_prereleases(&self) -> bool {
         self.prereleases.unwrap_or_else(|| {
             self.version
@@ -289,6 +290,11 @@ impl PythonDownloadRequest {
         })
     }
 
+    /// Whether this download request opts-in to alternative Python implementations.
+    pub fn allows_alternative_implementations(&self) -> bool {
+        self.implementation.is_some()
+    }
+
     pub fn satisfied_by_interpreter(&self, interpreter: &Interpreter) -> bool {
         if let Some(version) = self.version() {
             if !version.matches_interpreter(interpreter) {

crates/uv-python/src/implementation.rs

@@ -52,18 +52,24 @@ impl LenientImplementationName {
 }
 
 impl From<&ImplementationName> for &'static str {
-    fn from(v: &ImplementationName) -> &'static str {
-        match v {
+    fn from(value: &ImplementationName) -> &'static str {
+        match value {
             ImplementationName::CPython => "cpython",
             ImplementationName::PyPy => "pypy",
             ImplementationName::GraalPy => "graalpy",
         }
     }
 }
 
+impl From<ImplementationName> for &'static str {
+    fn from(value: ImplementationName) -> &'static str {
+        (&value).into()
+    }
+}
+
 impl<'a> From<&'a LenientImplementationName> for &'a str {
-    fn from(v: &'a LenientImplementationName) -> &'a str {
-        match v {
+    fn from(value: &'a LenientImplementationName) -> &'a str {
+        match value {
             LenientImplementationName::Known(implementation) => implementation.into(),
             LenientImplementationName::Unknown(name) => name,
         }

crates/uv-python/src/installation.rs

@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ use crate::implementation::LenientImplementationName;
 use crate::managed::{ManagedPythonInstallation, ManagedPythonInstallations};
 use crate::platform::{Arch, Libc, Os};
 use crate::{
-    downloads, Error, Interpreter, PythonDownloads, PythonPreference, PythonSource, PythonVersion,
+    downloads, Error, ImplementationName, Interpreter, PythonDownloads, PythonPreference,
+    PythonSource, PythonVersion,
 };
 
 /// A Python interpreter and accompanying tools.
@@ -176,6 +177,16 @@ impl PythonInstallation {
         LenientImplementationName::from(self.interpreter.implementation_name())
     }
 
+    /// Whether this is a CPython installation.
+    ///
+    /// Returns false if it is an alternative implementation, e.g., PyPy.
+    pub(crate) fn is_alternative_implementation(&self) -> bool {
+        !matches!(
+            self.implementation(),
+            LenientImplementationName::Known(ImplementationName::CPython)
+        )
+    }
+
     /// Return the [`Arch`] of the Python installation as reported by its interpreter.
     pub fn arch(&self) -> Arch {
         self.interpreter.arch()

crates/uv-python/src/interpreter.rs

@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ use uv_fs::{write_atomic_sync, PythonExt, Simplified};
 use crate::implementation::LenientImplementationName;
 use crate::platform::{Arch, Libc, Os};
 use crate::pointer_size::PointerSize;
-use crate::{Prefix, PythonInstallationKey, PythonVersion, Target, VirtualEnvironment};
+use crate::{
+    Prefix, PythonInstallationKey, PythonVersion, Target, VersionRequest, VirtualEnvironment,
+};
 
 /// A Python executable and its associated platform markers.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
@@ -494,6 +496,21 @@ impl Interpreter {
             (version.major(), version.minor()) == self.python_tuple()
         }
     }
+
+    /// Whether or not this Python interpreter is from a default Python executable name, like
+    /// `python`, `python3`, or `python.exe`.
+    pub(crate) fn has_default_executable_name(&self) -> bool {
+        let Some(file_name) = self.sys_executable().file_name() else {
+            return false;
+        };
+        let Some(name) = file_name.to_str() else {
+            return false;
+        };
+        VersionRequest::Default
+            .executable_names(None)
+            .into_iter()
+            .any(|default_name| name == default_name.to_string())
+    }
 }
 
 /// The `EXTERNALLY-MANAGED` file in a Python installation.

crates/uv-python/src/lib.rs

@@ -1793,7 +1793,7 @@ mod tests {
         })?;
         assert!(
             matches!(result, Err(PythonNotFound { .. })),
-            "We should not the pypy interpreter if not named `python` or requested; got {result:?}"
+            "We should not find the pypy interpreter if not named `python` or requested; got {result:?}"
         );
 
         // But we should find it