[Numpy-discussion] Numpy headers

[Robert Kern]

On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 12:29, Edward Shishkin
<edward.shishkin at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello everyone.
>
> Afer installing numpy (under linux) I have got a number of header files:
>
> /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/numpy/f2py/src/fortranobject.h
> /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/numpy/numarray/numpy/cfunc.h
> /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/numpy/numarray/numpy/numcomplex.h
> /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/numpy/numarray/numpy/nummacro.h
> /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/numpy/numarray/numpy/ieeespecial.h
> /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/numpy/numarray/numpy/arraybase.h
> /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/numpy/numarray/numpy/libnumarray.h
> ...
>
> Is there a particular reason for including these headers in that location
> (/usr/lib/python2.5)?
>
> I maintain numpy for our distro and am planning to make a separate
> package (numpy-devel) for those headers to be delivered under
> /usr/include.
>
> Any ideas?

There are distribution use cases where installing to
/usr/include/python2.x is not an option. One can also install multiple
numpy distributions in different locations. Keeping the headers inside
the packages helps with these use cases. There is a function in numpy
that returns the path where the main numpy headers are installed.

We greatly prefer that you leave the numpy package intact in order to
reduce the number of different configurations out there and to ensure
that your users have a completely functional numpy installation.

-- 
Robert Kern

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless
enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as
though it had an underlying truth."
  -- Umberto Eco