[Python-Dev] BDFL delegation for PEP 426 (PyPI metadata 1.3) (original) (raw)

Chris Withers chris at simplistix.co.uk
Fri Feb 22 20:29:26 CET 2013

On 03/02/2013 13:27, Tres Seaver wrote:

As for setuptools (as opposed to distribute), I don't think we should care anymore. Yes, you need to care. It is still true today that distribute and setuptools remain largely interchangeable, which is the only thing that makes distribute viable, in the ecosystem sense.

I was very unpopular with the attitude I took to distribute when it arrived, including it's poor choice of name ;-)

Now, I know my tone was bad, but we are where I feared we're be, to paraphrase Ned Batchelder's "two problems" job page: I had a problem with setuptools, so I thought I'd create distribute, now I have two problems...

I'm excited by wheel and I still have vague hopes that one day the stdlib might be a collection of packages shipped as a "big distribution" for those who need it and separately upgradeable for the rest of us...

...but let's make sure we keep caring about the tools that people really use, which includes both setuptools and distribute.

...or deliberately break them both, at the same time as we fix the security issues, and provide a workable alternative. People will quickly migrate ;-)

cheers,

Chris

-- Simplistix - Content Management, Batch Processing & Python Consulting - http://www.simplistix.co.uk

More information about the Python-Dev mailing list