[Python-Dev] Re: Path hacking

[James C. Ahlstrom]

Perhaps you have heard about the East coast US hurricane.  It
really hammered us here in New Jersey.  I had trouble getting
home last night due to high water.  When I went to our usual
Japanese lunch restaurant it had broken windows and was full of tree
branches.  Wow...

Anyway,

Mark Hammond wrote:
> 
> No - the point is that the "1.5" key is "reserved" by a standard
> install.  Changing the string value actually allows you to have your
> own subtree, and you can assume you own that.

OK, now that I know the rules I will think about doing that.
 
> > And I hate changing any registry entries at all.
> 
> Well, you should learn to get over it!

I will try.

Of course, even if the registry helps ship Python apps
on Windows, it is no help on Unix, and I care about that
almost as much.

> > My current "solution" is to use freeze to create a black-box
> install,
> > and worry about second Python installations and wasted storage when
> it
> > happens.
> 
> well, IMO this is also the correct thing to do.  any install that has
> >100 files is fragile.  So I do both - freeze the app, _and_ a custom
> "sys.winver".

Yes, but this requires a compiler.

> > I was hoping that this thread whould result in a consensis of what
> > to do, but it has not.
> 
> There is a consesus for people with the same problem.  Different
> problems have different optimal solutions.

The problem is that there is no reliable way to ship bullet-proof
Python apps without recompiling and rebuilding Python.  Each of us
has his own pet hack to solve our own problem.  Now there is talk
of custom import hooks, and this is likely to result in each
package requiring its own import hook!  Aren't packages supposed
to be software IC's?

I hate to be a nag, but I will keep pushing for a single solution.
Python is totally cross platform, and with all that machinery,
there must be portable way to do that.

I think this is good for Python.  Please don't think I am
trying to solve my own selfish problems.  I have a compiler,
I am happy using freeze, and I don't have any problems.  Its
just that Python would "sell" better and be more popular
if a developer could read the documentation "How to ship
and install your Python app in five minutes and make
millions".  This documentation currently reads "You can't".

Jim Ahlstrom