py.test.exe - failed to create process

[pytestbot]

Originally reported by: BitBucket: psantoro, GitHub: psantoro

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I've been using pytest 2.6.4 successfully with python 3.4.2 64bit for a while now on Windows 7 and Linux. My Windows 7 python 3.4.2 installation directory was "c:\bin\python34". I recently upgraded (i.e. remove, followed by install) to Python 3.4.3 64bit, but installed it into "c:\program files\python34". I believe this is a more secure location and I've read that Python 3.5 will default to using the standard Windows software installation directories.

When I reinstalled pytest 2.6.4 via "pip install pytest" for python 3.4.3, the install appeared to complete successfully. However, when I try to execute either of the py.test exes in the python scripts directory, I get a "failed to create process" error. The py.test script files appear to work fine. I then uninstalled pytest via pip. I then used pip to install the pytest-2.6.4-py2.py3-none-any.whl from http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/. The included exes in the whl appear to work fine.

I also tried these tests using a console window opened via "Run as Administrator", but this did not change the outcome. I was also able to duplicate the above on my home notebook.

I haven't had any new issues with other python packages and scripts (including many that I've written myself) since upgrading to python 3.4.3. Perhaps there's something in the pytest setup logic that doesn't like spaces in directory names?

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• Bitbucket: https://bitbucket.org/pytest-dev/pytest/issue/701

[pytestbot]

Original comment by BitBucket: psantoro, GitHub: psantoro:

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Note that all of my packages, including pip and setuptools, are up to date. Here's some additional information that I've found:

pypa/pip#1997

pypa/pip#1999

pypa/pip#2152

https://bitbucket.org/pypa/setuptools/issue/188/nt-escaping-in-shebang-in-easy_install

https://bitbucket.org/pypa/setuptools/issue/216/generated-launchers-wont-launch-if-there

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24627525/fatal-error-in-launcher-unable-to-create-process-using-c-program-files-x86

https://pytools.codeplex.com/workitem/2415

[pytestbot]

Original comment by BitBucket: psantoro, GitHub: psantoro:

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Here's something else that may be helpful:

https://pythonhosted.org/setuptools/history.html#id21

[pytestbot]

Original comment by BitBucket: psantoro, GitHub: psantoro:

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More information:

http://bugs.python.org/issue23121

http://bugs.python.org/msg233143 (may explain why installing via wheel worked)

https://bitbucket.org/pypa/distlib/issue/47

http://bugs.python.org/issue1284316 (background on new Windows default installation location)

So maybe this isn't really a pytest issue, but it may require changes to pytest's setup logic to fix.

[pytestbot]

Original comment by BitBucket: psantoro, GitHub: psantoro:

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I also get the above results with version pytest 2.7.0 on Windows 7. Using the 2.7.0 wheel file from http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/ works fine.

[pytestbot]

Original comment by holger krekel (BitBucket: hpk42, GitHub: hpk42):

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Thanks for the research and links. I am not sure pytest can do anything to fix this because it happens before pytest starts executing. Can you try if python -m pytest works for you until this is fixed upstream?

[pytestbot]

Original comment by BitBucket: ratiotile, GitHub: ratiotile:

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I have the same problem on Windows 7 on one machine, while it works on another Windows 7 machine in the same Python environment.

actually, using virtualenv --relocatable fixed this for me. The problem seems to be a space in the py.test.x.x-script.py (x.x=python version) hashbang filepath.