When you install the exe version of Inkscape on Windows (I didn't test msi), you have a dropdown menu with Full, Optimal, Minimal, and Custom, as choices. Full and Optimal install Python. Minimal and Custom don't.
However, below that, and not hidden at all, is a list of checkboxes so that no matter which option you choose from the dropdown menu, you can still select and deselect whatever parts you want. These checkboxes are:
- Inkscape SVG Editor (required) - this checkbox is grayed out for all options, so I'm not sure why it's even there
- GTK + Runtime Environment (required) - ditto above, not sure why it's even there
- Install for all Users - available for all options, and checked for all options (unless user unchecks it)
- Delete Personal Preferences - available for all options - unchecked for all options (unless user checks it)
- Shortcuts - available and checked for all options - expands with 5 or 6 sub-options about where the shortcuts will appear
- Python 2.7 - available for all options, and checked as mentioned above
- Additional files - available for all options, expands with the following options: Extensions, Examples, Tutorials, Dictionaries; checked for Full and Optimal, unchecked for Minimal and Custom, but user can still choose whatever they want
- Translations - expands with lots of languages, available for all options, checked for Full, unchecked for all the rest, user can still choose whatever they want
So in a sense, users are steered away from making their own mistakes with the checkboxes, by using the dropdown menu. But the checkboxes are not hidden, and too many people are screwing themselves by thinking they know what they are doing, and unchecking Python (for whatever reason). (The other day, I saw someone had not installed python because they thought they just didn't want it. I guess because they didn't know what it is.)
I'm tempted to make 2 reports - one suggesting some kind of improvement to try and prevent people from unchecking Python if they don't know what they're doing - and the other to provide a place to tell Inkscape where to find Python, in case the user already has it installed.
But I'm still a little unclear what kind of bug the op wants to report - about Inkscape finding python, or if there really is some problem with the Chinese version.
I guess I'll wait until we hear from frank.
Edit
Wait a minute! Why is Python optional at all? Extensions won't work without it, and not even some menu items will work without it. Except for already having Python installed, what other reason could there be not to install it?
