Python AppStore / Marketplace

[Steve Holden]

Marcel Luethi wrote:
> Dear Community
> 
> Now I'm standing here, having this great idea for a brand new rocking
> app...
> But where do I start? I want it to be multi-platform (Linux, Mac OS X,
> Windows). It should be easy to install and upgrade. It should be self-
> contained, independent of an already installed Python. And of course -
> the world should be able to find it!
> 
> So what do I do? I'm studying all the possibilities to make it self-
> contained (virtualenv, InstantDjango, PortablePython...), searching
> for installers (PyInstaller, EasyInstall, ...), looking into making it
> executable on every platform (py2exe, py2app, cx_Freeze, ...),
> analyzing all GUI frameworks (wxPython, PyGTK, PyQt, ...),
> investigating all hosting providers (Google Code, SourceForge, ...)
> and so on and so forth.
> 
> This is not easy at all!
> 
> Using my iPhone I suddenly realize how easy it is to find applications
> in Apple's AppStore. How easy and fast it is to install or de-install
> an app. My iPhone even checks in the background if there is an upgrade
> which could be installed painlessly.
> 
> Then I see VMware's Virtual Appliance Marketplace, where you can
> download already pre-configured "appliances" for all kind of stuff.
> You can even download a basic appliance, install and configure your
> servers and tools - and upload it again, so that others can profit of
> your work.
> 
> Unfortunately there's nothing like this in the Python world...
> 
> My idea: what about having a beefed up Cheeseshop for Python apps and
> an accompanying client app kind of iTunes for Python apps?
> 
> The server side could be easily implemented with any of the current
> web frameworks. It's simply a management platform for the app packages
> (descriptions, versions, platforms, licenses, user's comments, number
> of downloads, ...) and the package files themselves.
> It should be definitely hosted by the PSF I think.
> 
> The multi-platform client should be intuitively and elegantly allow
> app browsing, downloading and installing those Python apps. In that
> respect it is sort of a Linux package manager (Synaptic, YUM, ...).
> But this is only the end-user related stuff. Furthermore it should
> allow to create new apps (probably based on a previously downloaded
> base app), package and upload them again (kind of Google AppEngine
> Launcher). Those base packages should include some basic management
> framework (for installation and configuration) and hopefully soon
> after the release of this platform they will be created in a broad
> variety to allow app developers to choose among many Python-version/
> platform/GUI/...-combinations.
> 
> IMHO an architecture like this would greatly enhance the productivity
> of the whole Python community by capitalizing the knowledge of many
> Python specialists. I don't have to find/install/configure all the
> basic stuff myself (see above) to build my app. But I can concentrate
> on my app because I'm standing on the shoulders of giants.
> 
> I believe it also would make Python as a great platform more visible
> to the world - because there is only one place you have to go...
> 
> 
> What do you think???
> Is this crazy??? Or simply stupid?
> Or is this the way to world domination...? ;-)
> 
> 
> Unfortunately I'm not expert enough to build such a system - but if
> there is enough interest in the community I gladly would like to help.
> 
Without wishing in any way to "rain on your parade", a "beefed up
cheeseshop" isn't a new idea. When you say it should be "... simply an
management platform for the app packages" this doesn't solve any
problems at all.

And the "multiplatform client" that should "easily and elegantly allow
app browsing, downloading and installing those apps" would presumably
have to account for the many differences in package formats and install
requirements between the different platforms.

So I don't think you will find too much disagreement that this is an
excellent idea, but neither do I think you fully appreciate the
difficulties this would involve.

There have been many discussions on the python-dev list and the
distutils list about how applications should and/or could be
distributed, but so far little universal agreement on how to achieve
this nirvana of which you conceive.

> Marcel
> 
> 
> PS:
> Naming is important! "Python AppStore" or "Python App Marketplace" is
> nice - but I would prefer something like "Python Bazaar" or "Python
> Souq" to emphasize the community aspect.

Unfortunately I have no idea what a "souq" is, so I suspect this may be
linguistically biased against English speakers. Or perhaps I'm just
ignorant.

regards
 Steve
-- 
Steve Holden        +1 571 484 6266   +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC              http://www.holdenweb.com/