Re: [gentoo-user] Q: What is "python-exec2c"? Why would "python3" dispatched through it not see an installed copy of pyyaml?

[Steven Lembark <lembark@wrkhors.com>]

Checking my environment, I'd expect that "python" is 3.9.1, I think?

    # which python  
    /usr/bin/python

    # ls -al /usr/bin/python
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Oct 20 10:46 /usr/bin/python -> python-exec2c

    # /usr/bin/python --version;
    Python 3.9.1

    (ins)root@dizzy ~ # eselect python list;
    Available Python interpreters, in order of preference:
      [1]   python3.9
      [2]   python3.6
      [3]   python3.8 (fallback)
      [4]   python3.7 (fallback)
      [5]   python2.7 (fallback)


Yet when I "emerge pyyaml" it seems to prefer 3.8 (see ? below):

    (cmd)root@dizzy ~ # emerge pyyaml
    Calculating dependencies... done!

    >>> Verifying ebuild manifests

    >>> Emerging (1 of 1) dev-python/pyyaml-5.4.1::gentoo
     * pyyaml-5.4.1.gh.tar.gz BLAKE2B SHA512 size ;-) ...                                                                               [ ok ]
    >>> Unpacking source...
    >>> Unpacking pyyaml-5.4.1.gh.tar.gz to /tmp/portage/dev-python/pyyaml-5.4.1/work
    >>> Source unpacked in /tmp/portage/dev-python/pyyaml-5.4.1/work
    >>> Preparing source in /tmp/portage/dev-python/pyyaml-5.4.1/work/pyyaml-5.4.1 ...
     * Applying pyyaml-5.1-cve-2017-18342.patch ...                                                                                     [ ok ]
    >>> Source prepared.
    >>> Configuring source in /tmp/portage/dev-python/pyyaml-5.4.1/work/pyyaml-5.4.1 ...
 ?   * Using python3.8 in global scope
 ?   * python3_8: running distutils-r1_run_phase python_configure_all
    >>> Source configured.
    ^C

    Exiting on signal 2
    >>> Compiling source in /tmp/portage/dev-python/pyyaml-5.4.1/work/pyyaml-5.4.1 ...
    ^Csandbox:stop  caught signal 2 in pid 8217
    Sandboxed process killed by signal: Interrupt
     * The ebuild phase 'die_hooks' has been killed by signal 2.

     * Messages for package dev-python/pyyaml-5.4.1:
     * Log file: /var/log/portage/dev-python:pyyaml-5.4.1:20210307-183833.log

Q: Is it reasonable to simply remove everything other than 3.9 and
   some version of 2.7?

Trying to build 3.9 for one of my co-workers was hell, we ended up
using 3.8. Would it make more sense to remove 3.9?

Not entirely sure why I have so many versions of python left behind
by upgrades.

-- 
Steven Lembark
Workhorse Computing
lembark@wrkhors.com
+1 888 359 3508