[Python-Dev] [Distutils] how to easily consume just the parts of eggs that are good for you (original) (raw)

Paul Moore p.f.moore at gmail.com
Wed Apr 9 19:23:50 CEST 2008

On 09/04/2008, Stanley A. Klein <sklein at cpcug.org> wrote:

IMHO, the main system without a package manager is Windows. A reasonable way to deal with Windows would be to create a package manager for it that could be used by Python and anyone else who wanted to use it. The package manager could establish a file hierarchy similar to the Unix FHS and install files appropriately, except for what is needed to satisfy the Windows OS. That would probably go a long way to addressing the issues being discussed here. This is primarily a Windows problem, not a Python problem.

Windows does have a package manager - the add/remove programs application. It's extremely limited, and doesn't make any attempt at doing dependency resolution, certainly - but that's a separate issue.

I don't know if you use Windows (as in, develop programs using Python on Windows). If you do, then I'd be interested in your views on bdist_wininst and bdist_msi installers, and how they fit into the setuptools/egg environment, particularly with regard to the package manager you are proposing. If you don't use Windows, then I don't see how you can usefully comment.

Personally, as I've said before, I don't have a problem with a Python-only package manager, as long as it replaces or integrates bdist_wininst and bdist_msi. Having two package managers is far worse than having none - and claiming that add/remove programs "isn't a package manager" is just ignoring reality (if it isn't, then why do bdist_wininst and bdist_msi exist?).

Are the Linux users happy with having a Python package manager that ignores RPM/apt? Why should Windows users be any happier?

Sorry - I'm feeling a little grumpy. I've read one too many "Windows is so broken that people who use it obviously don't care about doing things right" postings this week :-(

Paul.

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