CPAN functionality for python

[Sean Reifschneider]

(I'm going to remove the non-list entities in further messages -- if
you want to follow this discussion you can find it on the lists.  Not
entirely sure how the CC list got so big in the first place)

On Tue, Feb 27, 2001 at 12:53:45AM -0700, Bruce Sass wrote:
>I have assumed that submitted packages would need to meet a
>standard of some sort - was that incorrect?

Obviously there will be some level of standards.  I don't know that the
tool should govern a policy decision though...  It seems that you're
pushing for a standard that's more than "just dump a .tar.gz here"
and less than "schlep up tars and RPMs and .debs, and don't forget about
HP-UX swinstall".  Maybe something like those (defunct?) Linux Software
Map entries?

I don't know the answers to what the standards will be and how they'll
be enforced...  I do suspect that they'll change over time, so the tool
should probably be flexible.

>That is to be expected... and only the distro is really equipted to
>handle these issues.

I don't agree with that.  Historicly, it's been fairly common for the
package to say "Hey, I've got some paths I need in the various files.
Here's the macros that represent them."

>I'm not sure what you mean here.  The distributions are the ones doing
>the packaging, the Python version of CPAN should supply all the bits
>needed for the distros to perform that function.

What do you mean by "the distributions"?  How will they do the packaging?
Are you saying that RedHat should be creating the RPMs?  That's just not
how it's actually done in the real world...  We just can't wait for
the distribution vendors to decide to include them on their disc.
It's not that sort of world.

If tools can be provided so that a user can turn a .tar.gz file into a
.RPM file easily, I'm all for it.  What about systems where that isn't
possible?

As far as I can tell, my system doesn't *REQUIRE* the inclusion of
RPMs, it just *ALLOWS* it.  You seem to be arguing for the exclusion
of that capability.  Why?

Sean
-- 
 The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
Sean Reifschneider, Inimitably Superfluous <jafo at tummy.com>
tummy.com - Linux Consulting since 1995. Qmail, KRUD, Firewalls, Python