[Python-Dev] Remove embedded expat library? (original) (raw)

Zachary Ware zachary.ware+pydev at gmail.com
Fri Jun 9 12:40:16 EDT 2017

On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 11:03 AM, Ned Deily <nad at python.org> wrote:

On Jun 9, 2017, at 08:43, Victor Stinner <victor.stinner at gmail.com> wrote:

I expect that all Linux distributions build Python using --with-system-expat. It may become the default? What about macOS and other operating systems? The current default is --with-system-expat=no so, unless builders of Python take explicit action, the bundled version of expat is used. Using the bundled version is also currently the case for the python.org macOS installer, no idea what other distributors do. Apple supplies a version of expat with macOS so we presumably we could use the system version for the installer. Presumably (Zach?) we would need to continue to supply a version of expat for Windows builds. But do we need to for others? If it were only Windows, then perhaps it might make sense to make all the changes to move expat out of cpython into the common repo for third-party Windows libs.

Yes, we would need to continue providing a version for Windows. It would be a relatively small change to move it to the externals repository.

I would be fine with switching to --with-system-expat=yes by default and building from externals on Windows in 3.7, and removing the bundled expat in 3.8.

By the way, Zachary Ware is working on converting this repository to Git. I don't know his progress: - https://github.com/python/cpython-bin-deps - https://github.com/python/cpython-source-deps

PR 1783 (https://github.com/python/cpython/pull/1783); needs another review from Steve to make sure I haven't made a complete mess of things, then it should be ready to go. Anyone else on Windows (Terry Reedy?) who can test it and provide feedback, please do!

-- Zach

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