Try to avoid invoking a new process to determine the Windows version in the platform module

[tomergert]

Feature or enhancement

Proposal:

In Lib/platform.py, there's a code aimed to determine the Windows version python runs in.

    for cmd in ('ver', 'command /c ver', 'cmd /c ver'):
        try:
            info = subprocess.check_output(cmd,
                                           stdin=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                                           stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                                           text=True,
                                           encoding="locale",
                                           shell=True)

As much as I understand, one shouldn't invoke whole new process just to question what OS version he runs at.

so just before invoking cmd.exe, we will try to question winapi directly.

# Load ntdll.dll and call RtlGetVersion
    ntdll = ctypes.WinDLL("ntdll")
    rtl_get_version = ntdll.RtlGetVersion
    rtl_get_version(ctypes.byref(os_version))

Has this already been discussed elsewhere?

No response given

Links to previous discussion of this feature:

No response

Linked PRs

• gh-129294: use winapi to determine win version before invoking cmd.exe #129295