Description

In macOS 12 and 13, it has pre-installed Python /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.xx/, which creates soft link such as /usr/local/bin/2to3-3.xx. Homebrew's python@3.xx also wants to create this link.

This causes issue when there is new Python is released, and brew install xx tries to install the latest Python: see Homebrew/homebrew-core#165793 (comment)

Runner image has a fix for Python 2.7:

Now I have to run brew unlink python@3.11 && brew link --overwrite python@3.11 before using brew install xxx to eliminate the potential conflict. It's tedious.

There is a PR attempting to address this issue: #7710, but it was rejected. Regardless of whether the fix should be implemented in actions/setup-python, we are still facing this issue one year later. I believe the runner image should consider providing a temporary fix for this.

Related issue:
Homebrew/homebrew-core#173191
Azure/azure-cli#29054

Platforms affected

• Azure DevOps
• GitHub Actions - Standard Runners
• GitHub Actions - Larger Runners

Runner images affected

• Ubuntu 20.04
• Ubuntu 22.04
• Ubuntu 24.04
• macOS 11
• macOS 12
• macOS 13
• macOS 13 Arm64
• macOS 14
• macOS 14 Arm64
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022

Image version and build link

This could be reproduced by reinstalling python@3.11

brew uninstall azure-cli
brew install python@3.11

https://github.com/bebound/starter-workflows/actions/runs/9298969591/job/25591905178

Is it regression?

Yes?

Expected behavior

Successfully install python@3.11 with brew.

Actual behavior

Pouring python@3.11--3.11.9.ventura.bottle.tar.gz
Error: The `brew link` step did not complete successfully
Error: The `brew link` step did not complete successfully
The formula built, but is not symlinked into /usr/local
Could not symlink bin/2to3-3.[11](https://github.com/bebound/starter-workflows/actions/runs/9298969591/job/25591905178#step:7:12)
Target /usr/local/bin/2to3-3.11
already exists. You may want to remove it:
  rm '/usr/local/bin/2to3-3.11'

To force the link and overwrite all conflicting files:
  brew link --overwrite python@3.11

To list all files that would be deleted:
  brew link --overwrite python@3.11 --dry-run

Possible conflicting files are:
/usr/local/bin/2to3-3.11 -> /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/bin/2to3-3.11
/usr/local/bin/idle3.11 -> /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/bin/idle3.11
/usr/local/bin/pydoc3.11 -> /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/bin/pydoc3.11
/usr/local/bin/python3.11 -> /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/bin/python3.11
/usr/local/bin/python3.11-config -> /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/bin/python3.11-config

Repro steps

brew uninstall azure-cli
brew install python@3.11