[Python-Dev] Package install failures in 2.6.3 (original) (raw)

Ned Deily nad at acm.org
Mon Oct 5 14:06:56 CEST 2009

There has been some discussion on the distutils-sig list over the past few days about a change to distutils released with 2.6.3 which inadvertently causes a number (all?) packages with C extensions that use setuptools/easy_install to fail during builds/installs with a rather cryptic error message. A number of popular packages are affected directly or indirectly through dependencies.

The problem is summarized in the issue tracker here; http://bugs.python.org/issue7064 which includes links to the distutils list archive and the setuptools and Distribute project bug trackers.

Assuming that distutils is not changed in a forthcoming 2.6.4, users and, possibly package maintainers, will need to take some action: either migrate from setuptools to Distribute (an easy migration), or wait for a fix to setuptools or the package or to the distribution (if there is one).

I'm not proposing to debate the merits of all of the options here.
However, if a 2.6.4 release is to be pushed out quickly for other reasons, a one-time window of opportunity would be available and it would be prudent to at least consider the possibility of a distutils fix.

In any case, it seems like there should be some effort to make package maintainers aware of the problem so they can take whatever steps necessary to update their packages or help files or web sites etc.

-- Ned Deily, nad at acm.org

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