Python 3.12 is not symlinked to Python on macOS 12.6.7 (macos-latest)

[lithomas1]

Description:
A clear and concise description of what the bug is.

Python 3.12 is not symlinked to python on macOS 12.6.7 (macos-latest).
Instead, python points to the Python 2.7 that comes with macOS

Action version:
actions/setup-python@v4

Platform:

• Ubuntu
• macOS
• Windows

Runner type:

• Hosted
• Self-hosted

Tools version:

Python 3.12-dev (3.12.0-beta4)

Repro steps:

See this workflow

https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/actions/runs/5555915106/jobs/10147721442?pr=53743

Expected behavior:

python should point to Python 3.12

Actual behavior:
python points to the Python 2.7 that comes with macOS

[deric4]

This caught my eye because of #684 and got nerd sniped 🤓

I think this is happening because the of the following setting in the workflow definition
https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/actions/runs/5555915106/workflow?pr=53743#L19-L21

defaults:
  run:
    shell: bash -el {0}

Each step is getting its own login shell which doesn't seem to respect the changes made from actions/setup-python

Its not clear to me as to why it works for 3.11 but not 3.12. since the environment seems to get setup the same way across the login/non-login shells.

purely speculation but perhaps there's an issue with how versions not installed in hostedtoolcache are setup that differs here.

I updated my runner reference workflow for python to try and debug why this is happening.
https://github.com/deric4/github-action-runner-reference/actions/runs/5560351139

Some of the info is split up among the summary values for each job and the actual log output. Sorry bout that 😅

If there's no other reason for needing the login shell then it might be easier just to change that since this seems like another https://xkcd.com/1987 lol.

Path in a step with login shell after setup-python

# path when default shell is set to `bash -el {0}`
# formatted for readability. each segment on newline
PATH=/usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.0.0/bin:
/usr/local/opt/[email protected]/bin:
/usr/local/opt/pipx_bin:
/Users/runner/.cargo/bin:
/usr/local/opt/curl/bin:
/usr/local/bin:
/usr/local/sbin:
/Users/runner/bin:
/Users/runner/.yarn/bin:
/Users/runner/Library/Android/sdk/tools:
/Users/runner/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools:
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin:
/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/Commands:
/usr/local/bin:
/usr/bin:
/bin:
/usr/sbin:
/sbin:
/Library/Apple/usr/bin:
/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/Commands:
/Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.0-beta.4/x64/bin:
/Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.0-beta.4/x64:
/usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.0.0/bin:
/usr/local/opt/[email protected]/bin:
/usr/local/opt/pipx_bin:
/Users/runner/.cargo/bin:
/usr/local/opt/curl/bin:
/usr/local/sbin:
/Users/runner/bin:
/Users/runner/.yarn/bin:
/Users/runner/Library/Android/sdk/tools:
/Users/runner/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools:
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin:
/Users/runner/.dotnet/tools:
/Users/runner/.ghcup/bin:
/Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/stack/2.11.1/x64:
/Users/runner/.dotnet/tools:
/Users/runner/.ghcup/bin:
/Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/stack/2.11.1/x64

Path in a step without login shell after setup-python

# path when default shell is set to `bash`
PATH=/Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.0-beta.4/x64/bin:
/Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.0-beta.4/x64:
/usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/3.0.0/bin:
/usr/local/opt/[email protected]/bin:
/usr/local/opt/pipx_bin:
/Users/runner/.cargo/bin:
/usr/local/opt/curl/bin:
/usr/local/bin:
/usr/local/sbin:
/Users/runner/bin:
/Users/runner/.yarn/bin:
/Users/runner/Library/Android/sdk/tools:
/Users/runner/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools:
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin:
/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/Current/Commands:
/usr/bin:
/bin:
/usr/sbin:
/sbin:
/Users/runner/.dotnet/tools:
/Users/runner/.ghcup/bin:
/Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/stack/2.11.1/x64

---

but why does it work on 3.11?

curiously seems to work but suffers the same problem?

with login shell macos12 setup-python 3.11

$ type -a python
python is /usr/local/bin/python
python is /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin/python
python is /usr/local/bin/python
python is /Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.11.4/x64/bin/python
python is /Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.11.4/x64/python
python is /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin/python

without login shell macos12 setup-python 3.11

$ type -a python
python is /Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.11.4/x64/bin/python
python is /Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.11.4/x64/python
python is /usr/local/bin/python
python is /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin/python

with login shell macos12 setup-python 3.12

$ type -a python
python is /usr/local/bin/python
python is /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin/python
python is /usr/local/bin/python
python is /Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.0-beta.4/x64/bin/python
python is /Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.0-beta.4/x64/python
python is /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin/python

without login shell macos12 setup-python 3.12

type -a python
python is /Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.0-beta.4/x64/bin/python
python is /Users/runner/hostedtoolcache/Python/3.12.0-beta.4/x64/python
python is /usr/local/bin/python
python is /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin/python

[dmitry-shibanov]

Hello @lithomas1. Thank you for your report. We'll take a look at this issue.

[dmitry-shibanov]

Hello everyone. Sorry for the late response. It looks like an expected behaviour because shell: bash -el {0} appends default tools at the beginning of the PATH that is why python from /usr/local/bin is used. You can try to use different shell set up or reach the proper python version through python-path output.

For now I'm going to close the issue.