[Python-Dev] buildtime vs runtime in Distutils

[Terry Reedy]

Christian Heimes wrote:
> Tarek Ziadé wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> http://bugs.python.org/issue4359 reminds me that Distutils reads build
>> files like Makefile or pyconfig.h to get some environment
>> variables through the sysconfig module at *runtime*.
>>
>> This cannot work on all platforms, when our Makefile is not shipped
>> with python but python-devel. (like Fedora)
> 
> Do we really want to change distutils to solve a problem of a third
> party packaging system when the problem was created by the very same
> third party in the first place? In other words: Should you spend your
> precious development time with fixing a problem that isn't our fault?
> The decision to split the header files into a separate package, that
> isn't installed by default, has already created tons of bad user
> experience in the past. Do you want to endorse the split even further?
> 
> -0 from me

If the third party disables distutils by removing some of the things it 
(sometimes) needs, then it seems to me that they should also remove 
disutils into the separate package. If *that* creates a problem, that 
should be *their* problem.