[Python-Dev] Software integrators vs end users (was Re: Language Summit notes)

[Paul Moore]

On 18 April 2014 22:08, Nick Coghlan <ncoghlan at gmail.com> wrote:
> Note that one of my requirements was that "pip install foo" *must* do
> the right thing in conda environments (whatever we decide the "right
> thing" means in that context).

Is this specifically a requirement for conda? Or do you expect the
same to be true for ActivePython, Python(X,Y) and whatever other
distributions exist? Assuming conda isn't a special case, is it down
to pip to ensure that or to the distributions to play nicely with pip?

It's starting to feel as if conda *is* being treated as somehow a
special case. (At least in the sense that you're advocating that we
promote a non-minimalist distribution on the python.org website, and
you've explicitly stated that you personally like conda). I'm strongly
against the official python.org website promoting *any* external
distribution as the recommended solution. I'm not against having a
simple list of "alternative distributions" if you think that'd help,
but that's a far cry from "advertising a full featured sumo
distribution that lets new users quickly experience the full power and
flexibility of things like IPython notebooks".

On the other hand, it might be good to have an explicit advertising
page - "See the power of Python" which *did* direct users to stacks
that showcase particularly impressive uses of Python. There could be a
section about the IPython notebook (which mentions that the conda
Python stack comes with IPython preinstalled) and another about Django
(hmm, what's the curated stack for web developers?) and another
showing the Visual Stiudio Tools for Python (hmm, stack for Windows
developers/admins?).

As a comparison, java.com points you straight at the standard Java SE
download. You don't see JBoss or Weblogic promoted on there, even
though those are likely to be how most developers interact with Java.
To get anything other than the minimal distribution, you need to know
you want it and search for it.

Paul