[Python-Dev] Re: [Distutils] Questions about distutils strategy

[Gordon McMillan]

> [Gordon]
> > That would work fine. One of the standalone configurations will
> > write a site.py, but that's for a completely self-contained
> > installation (ie, one which will have no conflicts with another
> > Python installation). 
> > 
> > I'd also note that, for Windows at least, the path-expanding
> > mechanism created by site.py has not caught on. I've got lots
> > installed, and no site-python, site-packages or sitecustomize.
[Guido] 
> You shouldn't see site-python or site-packages, they only exist
> on Unix.  

You mean "they only exist _for_ Unix", (site.py looks for them 
on Windows). I don't like that. For one thing, modulo a few 
platform differences, the same mechanism should work for 
multi-user Unix and Windows LAN installations. And single-
user Windows (I know, redundant, even on NT) should be a 
degenerate case of the above.

> On Windows, everything is installed in the top Python
> directory.  However you should see .pth files there, which is
> what site.py looks for.  I believe NumPy and PIL use those.

No NumPy, no PIL, no .pth files. 99% of everything out there 
just says "unzip this somewhere on your Python path".

In this case, Jim Ahlstrom may be right - there are too many 
options, or at least an insufficiently emphasized "proper" 
method. Until I worked out my own way of installing stuff, I 
used to lose a large number of packages whenever I upgraded 
my Windows Python.

Much as I love Mark's stuff (and hesitate to criticize crazy 
Aussies), I wish there weren't so much special casing here for 
Windows.

And no, I don't have any solutions to this, I'm just griping...

- Gordon