Python 3.11 minimum

[dogruis]

ngdevkit/tools/tiletool.py

Line 1 in 4453820

#!/usr/bin/env python3

ImportError: cannot import name 'Self' from 'typing'
  (/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/Library/Frameworks/Python3.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/typing.py)
make[1]: *** [build/assets/hero.c1] Error 1
make: *** [cart] Error 2

cannot import name 'Self' —
The actual reason it's missing: PEP 673 added typing.Self in Python 3.11. It doesn't exist in 3.9 or 3.10. The 3.9 typing.py simply has no Self symbol.

#!/usr/bin/env python3.11

Quick fix would be to point to the minimum version in the shebang to python 3.11.

[dciabrin]

Did you compile the devkit from source or did you use the brew package?
I'm asking because the latest brew package installs ruamel-yaml as a python dependencies, so the tools need to be run with the python interpreter from brew.
You seem to be picking up the system's python instead.

[dogruis]

I use the brew package. The complication on my machine is pyenv — its
shims directory comes first in PATH, so /usr/bin/env python3 in the
tool wrappers resolves through pyenv before reaching /opt/homebrew/bin.
With pyenv set to a Python without typing.Self (2.7 or 3.10 in my
case), the import fails. Running pyenv local 3.14 in the project
directory fixed it.

Maybe the brew wrapper could pin the interpreter
explicitly (exec /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.14 .../tiletool.py "$@")
instead of relying on env python3. That would make the tool
robust against pyenv / asdf / mise / any other shim-based version
manager that sits in PATH ahead of brew's bins. Alternatively a
sys.version_info guard at the top of tiletool.py would at least
produce a clear error message rather than a cryptic
cannot import name 'Self' from 'typing'.

[dciabrin]

I'll see what I can come up with, thanks for reporting that issue.

[dogruis]

Proposing a tiny shared module so every tool gives one consistent error and there's one place to add future polyfills:
tools/ngdevkit_tools/
init.py # empty
_compat.py # ~25 lines: check_python() + batched polyfill
Each tool gains 3 lines at the top:
from ngdevkit_tools._compat import check_python
check_python()
Plus tools/Makefile.in installs the package alongside the scripts.
Worth your sign-off on this shape before I draft the PR. Alternatives I considered:

• Inline version checks per tool — more duplication, no place to put future polyfills.
• Bigger refactor extracting binstream/pack helpers into the same package