In reviewing my notes from my experimentations with CGIHTTPServer     (Python2.6) and then http.server (Python 3.2a4), I note one behavior     I haven't reported as a bug, nor do I know where to start to figure     it out, other than experimentally.
    
    The experiment: launching CGIHTTPServer without environment     variables, by the simple expedient of using a batch file to unset     all the existing environment variables, and then launching Python2.6     with CGIHTTPServer.
    
    So it failed early: random.py fails at line 110 (Python 2.6).
    
    I suppose it is possible that some environment variables are used by     Python directly (but I can't seem to find a documented list of them)     although I would expect that usage to be optional, with fall-back     defaults when they don't exist.  I suppose it is even possible that     some Windows APIs might depend on some environment variables, but I     expected that the registry had replaced such usage completely, by     now, with the environment variables mostly being a convenience tool     for batch files, or for optional, temporary alteration of particular     settings.
    
    If anyone knows of documentation listing what environment variables     are required by Python on Windows, I would appreciate a pointer,     searches and doc browsing having not turned it up.
    
    I'll attempt to recreate the test situation later this week with     Python 3.2a4, if no one responds, but the only debug technique I can     think of is to slowly remove environment variables until I find the     minimum set required to run http.server successfully for my tests     with CGI files.
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In reviewing my notes from my experimentations with CGIHTTPServer (Python2.6) and then http.server (Python 3.2a4), I note one behavior I haven't reported as a bug, nor do I know where to start to figure it out, other than experimentally.

The experiment: launching CGIHTTPServer without environment variables, by the simple expedient of using a batch file to unset all the existing environment variables, and then launching Python2.6 with CGIHTTPServer.

So it failed early: random.py fails at line 110 (Python 2.6).

I suppose it is possible that some environment variables are used by Python directly (but I can't seem to find a documented list of them) although I would expect that usage to be optional, with fall-back defaults when they don't exist.  I suppose it is even possible that some Windows APIs might depend on some environment variables, but I expected that the registry had replaced such usage completely, by now, with the environment variables mostly being a convenience tool for batch files, or for optional, temporary alteration of particular settings.

If anyone knows of documentation listing what environment variables are required by Python on Windows, I would appreciate a pointer, searches and doc browsing having not turned it up.

I'll attempt to recreate the test situation later this week with Python 3.2a4, if no one responds, but the only debug technique I can think of is to slowly remove environment variables until I find the minimum set required to run http.server successfully for my tests with CGI files.