[Python-Dev] Whither cursesmodule?

[Andrew M. Kuchling]

On comp.lang.python, "Juergen A. Erhard" <jae@ilk.de> wrote about
cursesmodule:
> Why two versions?  Did Oliver forget to submit his patches to Guido
> (et al)?  Or did Guido not accept them?  If so, why not?
> 
> What needs to be done to synchronize the canonical Python and the
> Python RPMs?

For python-dev readers: Oliver Andrich's Python RPMs contain his
enhanced cursesmodule, which supports many ncurses features.  The
cursesmodule in the Python distribution supports only plain curses.
Question: what should be done about this?

The problem is that Oliver's enhanced module probably won't work on
systems that support only BSD curses.  I haven't verified this,
though.  On the other hand, ncurses implements the SYSV curses API,
and maybe there are no platforms left that only have plain curses.

Options:

1) Forget about it and leave things as they are.

2) Include the ncurses version of the module, backward compatibility
   be damned.

3) Split the curses module out of the standard distribution, and
   distribute it separately; users then download the plain or ncurses
   version as they see fit.
   
4) Attempt to make patches for Oliver's module that will make it work 
   with plain curses.

I don't like #1; if the code is going to be unmaintained in the
future, why leave it in at all?  #2 might be OK, if it's the case that
the SYSV curses API is widespread these days; is it?  I'd be willing
to take a crack at #4, but have no idea where I could find a system
with only plain curses.  (Apparently OpenBSD, at least, includes the
old BSD curses as libocurses.)  

-- 
A.M. Kuchling			http://starship.python.net/crew/amk/
When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him *whose*?
    -- Don Marquis