Python 3 as default python

[FlyingWombat]

I suggest that Python 3 be made the default python target in Msys2.
Python 2 End of Life is about 10 months from now.

Arch Linux can be used as a reference for this, as they have had python3 as default for quite some time now.

Edit:
To clarify, I think /mingw64/bin/python --version should return python 3.7.2 (or whatever latest version).
Instead, /mingw64/bin/python --version returns python 2.7.15
I understand this was done to preserve compatibility with legacy python programs. IMO it is a backwards way of doing things. I think this not just for python, but for any program: foo should execute the latest installed version, and older versions should be installed as fooX.Y.

One way this change could be made is to add a statement in the prepare() of every python2 PKGBUILD, to patch the shebang to target python2 explicitly.

[lazka]

I assume you mean the binary name? There is a new discussion upstream https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2019-February/156272.html for changing PEP 394

[FlyingWombat]

Yes
OP edited for clarification

[asctime]

cd bin; cp python3.exe python.exe ?
Anything further probably means you are wrong. Because OS file associations and internal scripts should always target the unversioned pointer image.. unless you have specific reason to call a specific image version in a script - in which case this discussion is moot anyway.

[FlyingWombat]

OS file associations and internal scripts should always target the unversioned pointer image

That's my point.
For MSYS2-MINGW64, the unversioned python binary refers to an outdated version that is nearing end-of-life.
I think that the unversioned python binary should refer to the latest version of python.

For reference, here is part of the upstream discussion on this.
python/peps#893

[lazka]

Once we get rid of python2 (#4993) we can switch python.exe over to python3, imo.

[lazka]

python/peps#989 -> python can now point to python3

• Move python.exe from python2 to python3
• Move pip.exe from python2-pip to python3-pip

[lazka]

#5640 moves pip.exe

[lazka]

python.exe is Python3 since 228cc0c

The remaining scripts are moved in #5723