[Distutils] EasyInstall --> distutils command + setuptools enhancements?

[Phillip J. Eby]

At 12:23 PM 6/8/2005 -0500, Ian Bicking wrote:
>Phillip J. Eby wrote:
>>>Are you thinking solely about a two-level command?  It's a little 
>>>confusing, because it seems like EasyInstall and distutils are kind of 
>>>separate, and I'm not clear what relation you are proposing.
>>>
>>>If it's just that there be two levels to the command, just like in 
>>>distutils or cvs, among other commands, then yes, I think that's a good 
>>>idea, and I can imagine quite a few commands over time.
>>>
>>>As for the specific implementation, I don't know that distutil's Command 
>>>is worth using if it's outdated.
>>
>>Yes, but it *integrates* with existing functionality, which is useful.
>>It would also make it easier for setup scripts to use EasyInstall 
>>functionality as part of their build process.
>
>I'm still not clear.  Do you mean you intend people to do:
>
>   python setup.py install_depends

That wasn't what I had in mind, although now that you mention it, it sounds 
kind of handy.  Not so much that people would type it directly, as that 
folks who don't want their users to have to install EasyInstall, could use 
it as part of their build process.

Hm.  That's actually a fantastic idea.  Thanks!  :)


>?  I'm just confused.  If it's a matter of using EasyInstall 
>functionality, it seems like the Python-level interface is more 
>useful.  Or do you mean, so that "python setup.py install" can pass its 
>arguments on to EasyInstall commands (e.g., the --install-lib option will 
>be passed onto installed dependencies?)

Something like that.  I actually more meant that things like the current 
logging verbosity would be shared, configuration files shared, 
etc.  However, this is actually a fantastic thing for the new idea 
(allowing packages using setuptools to install dependencies), because it 
means that certain kinds of arguments passed to the parent script will be 
usable by the child scripts (e.g. compiler options, install locations, 
etc.).  Sweet!

Interestingly, this is what I originally set out to make setuptools do, 
i.e. know about dependencies and be able to download/install them, but the 
work kind of stalled as I ran into complex issues of selecting the right 
platform and distribution to install.  EasyInstall addressed these issues 
and solved them starting from a point of view based on a totally different 
use case, but seems to have found its way full circle now.  :)