[Distutils] Python people want CPAN and how the latter came about

[ssteinerX@gmail.com]

On Dec 23, 2009, at 9:59 PM, exarkun at twistedmatrix.com wrote:

> What's with the interest in having packages hosted on PyPI?
> 
> I'm not specifically opposed to this, but I don't see any reason it would benefit anyone either.  It'd be awesome if someone could explain this.  Perhaps if the answer were included somewhere on PyPI or in the distutils documentation, more people would see the light and upload their packages.

I really don't think it has to do with 'having packages hosted on PyPI' as it is in having a single way to install any Python 'thing.'

Right now, installing e.g. Twisted, requires finding the website, figuring out which exact file to download, then figuring out exactly how to get it installed.  

Yes, 'we' know how to do it, or can figure it out pretty easily (with the value of 'we' being pretty much anyone reading this list), but the argument seems to be whether "Joe Average Non-Programmer" could figure it out, or should even have to.

A simple:

# super-duper-python-thing-just-like-cpan-only-better -i Twisted

Should do it, and it should find the proper mirror/source repository itself without further operator intervention or annoyance.

At least that's what I get from all this...

Steve
aka/S
aka/ssteinerX