Use CMake 3.12+ facilities for detecting Python.

[alexxy/gromacs.git] / docs / release-notes / 2021 / major / portability.rst

diff --git a/docs/release-notes/2021/major/portability.rst b/docs/release-notes/2021/major/portability.rst
index fdcf01640e44b6574f24c702778cbbedf4f4124a..36940a8833e90bb9e3d9ab571b8cc2b2f25046fa 100644 (file)
--- a/docs/release-notes/2021/major/portability.rst
+++ b/docs/release-notes/2021/major/portability.rst
@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
 Portability
 ^^^^^^^^^^^
 
-Supported Python versions
-"""""""""""""""""""""""""
+Python environment
+""""""""""""""""""
 
 Where Python is required,
 `CPython <https://www.python.org>`__ versions 3.6 to 3.8 are supported.
 
+CMake now detects Python using
+`FindPython3 <https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.13/module/FindPython3.html>`__.
+If you previously used ``PYTHON_EXECUTABLE`` to hint the location of the Python
+interpreter, you should instead specify the Python "root" or "prefix" path
+(the directory containing ``./bin/python3``) with CMake variable
+``Python3_ROOT`` or ``CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH``. As other infrastructure evolves,
+``PYTHON_EXECUTABLE`` may cease to have the desired effect without warning.
+
 .. Note to developers!
    Please use """"""" to underline the individual entries for fixed issues in the subfolders,
    otherwise the formatting on the webpage is messed up.