pypa/hatch

Support creating a free-threaded environment

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#1931 opened on Mar 11, 2025

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 (4 comments) (1 reaction) (0 assignees)Python (4,451 stars) (240 forks)batch import
buggood first issue

Description

Perhaps complicated by the fact that hatch isn't easily installable on the free-threaded build (#1801, but see https://github.com/pypa/hatch/issues/1801#issuecomment-2715720577), it doesn't look like it's possible to create a hatch environment with a free-threaded interpreter:

$ hatch python install 3.13t
Unknown distributions: 3.13t

Is that something that you'd be interested in adding support for?

I think if we do, projects should be able to install hatch in a GIL-enabled interpreter, and then use hatch to orchestrate downloading a free-threaded interpreter and using it to run tests, sidestepping #1801.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
python
Domain
toolingdeveloper experience
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of free threaded Python (3.13t)Familiarity with hatch's environment creationKnowledge of Python interpreter download mechanics
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
35
Research direction
First, investigate how hatch currently handles custom Python interpreters in the `hatch python install` command and related environment creation. Look at the code in `src/hatch/cli/python/install.py` and `src/hatch/env/creator.py` to understand the flow. Then, examine the free threaded build installation procedure mentioned in issue #1801 (comment https://github.com/pypa/hatch/issues/1801#issuecomment 2715720577) to see what changes are needed to support `3.13t`. Consider how to allow a GIL enabled hatch to download and use a free threaded interpreter for running tests.