🐛 fix(create): add pythonw3.exe to Windows venvs#3073
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When users run `python3 -m pip install` for a GUI package inside a virtualenv, distlib generates a script shebang pointing to `pythonw3.exe` (via string replacement on the executable name). virtualenv creates `python3.exe` but was missing the corresponding `pythonw3.exe`, causing GUI scripts to fail. Fixes pypa#3072.
This was referenced Mar 19, 2026
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When users install GUI packages via
python3 -m pip installinside a virtualenv on Windows, the generated script wrapper referencespythonw3.exe— becausedistlibderives the windowed executable name by replacingpythonwithpythonwin the current interpreter's filename. 🐛 Since virtualenv createspython3.exebut not the correspondingpythonw3.exe, these GUI scripts fail to launch.The fix adds
pythonw3.exeas an alias ofpythonw.exein the CPython Windows creator, mirroring howpython3.exeis already unconditionally created alongsidepython.exe. This is consistent with the existing pattern where everypythonvariant has a matchingpythonwcounterpart.Fixes #3072.