[Python-Dev] [Pydotorg] Should we help pythonmac.org? (original) (raw)

Bill Janssen janssen at parc.com
Tue Aug 19 19:28:20 CEST 2008

> My understanding is that if there is a system Python, you shouldn't > change it. Ever.

Huge, big, honkin' +1 from me on that. Besides, for a system Python, you want your distribution to manage packages, not setuptools, otherwise you confuse -- and probably break -- your system.

I find this discussion fascinating. I install new packages into my system Python all the time, with "/usr/bin/python setup.py install", and that includes setuptools. I've got PIL, ReportLab, Twisted, Xlib, appscript, docutils, email-4.0.1, fuse, PyLucene, medusa, mutagen, roman, setuptools, and SSL installed in the Leopard machine I'm writing from. They don't wind up in /System/Library/.../site-packages/, they wind up in /Library/Python/2.5/site-packages/, which is sort of the right place, from an Apple point of view. I do this on lots of Macs -- I've got a regular posse of them at work. And I've never had any problems with it.

I agree that there are some things I'd be very wary of installing into the system Python, like PyObjC, and Zope. Usually, I don't install anything which appears to already be there.

Bill

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