[Python-Dev] request for comments - standardization of python's purelib and platlib

David Lyon david.lyon at preisshare.net
Fri Aug 14 05:02:42 CEST 2009


Hi Jan,

It's not impossible, but you have some dependencies.

If you can patch distutils within Suse, then it mightn't be so
difficult. Distutils is not much more than a file copier.

Inside distutils, a lot of the paths that you are talking
about are hardcoded. 

> One, python depends on the "lib" directory. (from distro's point of
> view, prefix is /usr, so let's talk /usr/lib) Due to this, it's
> impossible to install python under /usr/lib64 without heavy patching.

correction - light patching. 

> Repeated attempts to bring python developers to acknowledge and rectify
> the situation have all failed (common argument here is "that would mean
> redesign of distutils and huge parts of whatnot").

Make it a zope/plone issue... and something might get done about it....

haha

If it's a windows or linux issue... pour petrol on it and light a match..

seriously... it's not major refactoring.. it's just changing a few
conditional
constants.. within distutils..

> Let's put our heads together and choose good default locations for
> purelib and platlib. Then add support to python for recognizing the
> locations by default, and possibly leave note in FHS that "this is the
> place".

Sure - discuss away. But you might end up having to patch your own
distribution.

> 2 - the sharedir way
> purelib = /usr/share/python/X.Y
> platlib = /usr/lib(64)/pythonX.Y/site-packages
> 
> pros:
> + clean separation of purelib - nice!
> + unheard of - a good place to start anew
> cons:
> - FHS states that /usr/share is for data. But OTOH, they don't say much
> about platform-independent bytecode. We could probably get an exception
> for this.
> - unheard of - everyone will be surprised

+1

Go try...

David

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pythonpkgmgr/



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