Can't find Python Library packages in Ubuntu (Debian)

[Jerzy Jalocha N]

Scott David Daniels wrote:
>> So, the first question is: How do I install the complete Python test
>> framework under Ubuntu (Debian)?
>
> You could use BZR or SVN to get a copy of the full Lib/test tree.  Given
> your long-disconnected running, I'd consider getting a full source set
> for release25-maint.
> Note that as of Python 2.6 / 3.0, if Python is not restricted to
> system directories for security reasons (if sys.flags.no_user_site is
> non-0), you may make a directory in your home directory to be searched.
>
> See   http://docs.python.org/library/site.html
> for details on USER_SITE and USER_BASE.
>
> That will allow you to place a test subdirectory under site.USER_SITE
> and get to test.test_list (for example) on your python search path.
> Since it is a user-specific location, you can make a "tester" user with
> the directory in his own space and not worry about affecting the
> standard environment.

Since I already compiled Python 2.6, and am using it basically only for
testing purposes, this won't be necessary, right now. But someday,
Python 2.6 will get released for Debian, and if it doesn't ship with
the tests, I will come back your instructions. - Thanks, Scott!


Paul Boddie wrote:
>> I will try to contact whoever is responsible for the packaging of Python
>> in Ubuntu (or Debian), and ask them if they are willing to support the
>> _complete_ Python release.
>
> They may already do so, but I'd argue that they could document the
> packages which provide the complete release a bit better if these are
> not already mentioned in /usr/share/doc/python/README.Debian or some
> similar file.

You are right, /usr/share/doc/python2.5/README.Debian
, should contain
that information, but it doesn't.

I already filed a bug in Launchpad, and will move upstream, if necessary.

> By looking at the documentation for the Debian stable source package,
> I did manage to find a list of generated packages:
>
> http://packages.debian.org/source/etch/python-defaults
>
> Perhaps one of these contains the test files.

I checked the most obvious packages there manually without success
before posting my question here. I also used apt-file, which searches for
a specific file in _all_ available packages, including not installed ones,
...no success, again.

> Although such files are
> arguably only of use to people building Python, and such people would
> therefore obtain the source package in order to perform the build
> process, there could be some benefit in having a package which
> provides these files separately. For example, one may wish to verify
> the behaviour of an installed version or to test aspects of another
> implementation.

My personal interest in these tests is the following: I was working with
some sequential dictionaries from ActiveState, but experienced problems
with all recipes. I started writing my own test cases, but found somewhere
a reference about test_dict, test_list et al. Using these, I've been able to
fix a few problems. (Even if some test cases are quite difficult to interpret
right now.)

In general, I think that the Python test suite is extrermely valuable, and
should be made more accessible to all users. Especially in combination
with Python's new Abstract Base Classes, They could prove extremely
useful in creating robust classes with standard interfaces. But I digress.

Thank you, Paul!