Python Package Managment

[Bernard Rankin]

> > [extracted from pylons-discuss]
> >
> >
> >> >> I hate to pass the buck, but this is Python's fault for not having
> >> >> reliable package management built in.  There's nothing Pylons can do
> >> >> about it except switch to another programming language.
> >> > [SNIP]
> >>
> >> Without Setuptools,
> >> Pylons and TurboGears couldn't exist, and Zope and Twisted
> >> would not have been able to split themselves into several packages.
> >> People coming to Python from Perl and Ruby expect to be able to just
> >> run a command to download and install a package.  That problem was
> >> solved ten years ago, so why does Python still not have it standard?
> >>
> >> If Setuptools and Virtualenv or the equivalent were built into Python,
> >> you could trust that every computer that has successfully installed
> >> Python can install packages and make virtual environments the same
> >> way..
> >>
> >> That would eliminate 2/3 of the problems users have when
> >> installing Pylons, and the subsequent need to explain the problems and
> >> workarounds in the installation docs.  At
> >> work people say, "Half the trouble of Pylons is installing it", and I
> >> often have to help them install it in person because otherwise they
> >> get stuck at some error message and have no idea what to do.
> >>
> >
> > Agreed.  I would even move ipython (or something like it) to core.
> >
> > Of course, even Setuptools has a long way to go in some areas. (Installation 
> Rollback, for one.)
> >
> > Python is about "batteries included", and these are major "batteries" in most 
> modern environments.
> >
> > A CPAN like "in-house hosted" archive would nice, too.  This way, modules have 
> a better chance of outliving the original author's interest/commitment in paying 
> for, possibly non-trivial, web hosting.
> >
> > I'm sure these issues has been discussed to death, but I wonder what the 
> larger Python community thinks.
> 
> You may be interested in the following:
> 
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2006-April/063952.html
> 
> The thread is two years and a half old, but my impression is that the
> situation has not changeed much since. Few if any people are against
> improving the situation, but more people are against the currently
> available solutions (setuptools, virtualenv, etc...).
> 

Thank you, I'll have a look.