how to distribute a python application

[Philippe FREMY]

	Hi,

I hope this is the right mailing list for this.

I have developed a small application in python with PyQt (klotski at
http://klotski.berlios.de/klotski) and was faced with the problem of
distributing and installing it.

I was pointed to distutils but it didn't answer my needs. Distutils is
pretty efficient for distributing python modules but doesn't handle the
specific needs of application installing.

My requirements are:
1. Find a standard place to store application data
2. Find a standard way to run my app (loader, wrapper, just type "python
myapp.py" ?)
3. Find a standard way to load my installed data at runtime
4. Install my application in the Gui menus (Kde, Gnome, Windows, Mac, ...).


Although it was originally stated in the distutils introduction that
application installation was one of the goals, it doesn't look like it is
one target anymore. Or nobody is working on it, which is pretty the same.

Python is now becoming really popular and with lot of graphical toolkits
available (PyQt, PyGtk, PyGnome, PyWxwindos, TkInter to name a few) and
recent development in Desktop Environments, we can expect more and more
applications being developed.

But when faced with distribution, developers are forced to use their own
installation method which are very likely to be non portable and non
standard. This is not the way it should be done, and was one of the reasons
the distutils-sig was started.

I think a new SIG is needed to address this specific problem. I don't think
there is too much work to be done. Distutils has already prepared the road.
What is needed is:

1. define where to install application data and how to load them
2. define how to run a python application
3. provide a set of scripts to install python on various environments:
gnome, kde, windows, mac, etc. It shouldn't be that hard to do given that a
lot of c and c++ application already do it.
4. provide a unified interface, or universal installer that let you define
meta-data for your installation and then let the installer choose what and
how to install. Something like a meta InstallShield for all supported python
platform


My hope, by writing this message, is that this concern will be understood
and that someone or even a group of someone will step forward to do the job.


Okey, I am perhaps dreaming a little bit too much here, but there is really
a great need in this area.

I hope this is the right mailing list for posting this. I was looking for a
python-devel mailing list but couldn't find it. If such a mailing list
exists, please tell me or forward them my message.

I am not subscribed here, so please CC me any answer.

	Best regards,

	Philippe Fremy