GNU/Linux vs. Windows as Python platform

[Don Dwiggins]

Alex Martelli sighs:

> On Windows, it's exactly as it should be: no commercial app today
> can fail to expose a reasonably complete COM object model, so you
> CAN drive it from Python.  No ifs, no buts.

> The huge number of available ActiveX controls (both free and
> commercial) similarly means your only problem regarding getting
> functionality 'x' from Python, for ANY 'x', is choosing among dozens
> of offerings (at least all available in COM/ActiveX).

 ... Linux advantages snipped...

> ...but I sure WILL miss COM...!

I'll second that.  For example, I've recently written a Python script that
uses SQL-DMO to create and set up a new SQL Server DB from a collection of
SQL scripts, including creating an agent job that periodically trims a
"workspace" table.  Instead of several manual steps, it's now a one-shot
job.  Next, I'll tackle doing the same for an MTS package, then an IIS
setup.  But, like Alex, I want to move Linux-wards.

Of course, the way I remember doing things like this on Unix was a Makefile
(or hierarchy of them), which works fine as long as everything you need to
do can be expressed in shell commands.

So, to anyone out there who's pushing to make Linux a competitor on the
desktop (or who knows someone who is), a plea: object models (and/or command
line interfaces) that can do everything, OK?

-- 
Don Dwiggins                    "Solvitur Ambulando"
Advanced MP Technology
dwig at advancedmp.net