[PYTHON-CRYPTO] python cryptographic packages

[Miranda Evans]

Situation is this:
1) I am using the PyCrypto package in an application
2) I observed postings, et al that gave me the
impression that there are other python packages that
may simplify the use of PyCrypto
3) I'm hoping to determine whether my understanding of
the various packages is accurate
4) There are some specific questions at the bottom of
this e-mail; that I'm hoping to get answers for.

Here is what I inferred from various postings.  If an
item begins with '???' it means that I have very
little confidence in my inference.
a) the ezPyCrypto package was introduced to simplify
the use of the PyCrypto package
b) the ezPyCrypto package is a wrapper; it makes calls
to the PyCrypto package
c) the introduction of the SSLCrypto package
deprecated the ezPyCrypto package; like the ezPyCrypto
package, the SSLCrypto package was intended to
simplify the use of the PyCrypto package
d) ??? the SSLCrypto package makes some calls to the
PyCrypto package but it also makes some calls to an
OpenSSL application
e) ??? in order to use the SSLCrypto package one must
install the PyCrypto package

Questions:
1) Are the inferences above correct?  If not, will you
please identify where they are in error?
2) can one use the SSLCrypto package to perform an
HMAC message digest calculation (accomplished in
PyCrypto package via Crypto.Hash.HMAC class)?
3) can one use the SSLCrypto package to perform an
SHA256 hash (accomplished in PyCrypto package via
Crypto.Hash.SHA256 class)?

Thank you. 

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