[Python-Dev] .pth files are evil

["Martin v. Löwis"]

Zooko O'Whielacronx wrote:
> .pth files are why I can't easily use GNU stow with easy_install.
> If installing a Python package involved writing new files into the
> filesystem, but did not require reading, updating, and re-writing any
> extant files such as .pth files, then GNU stow would Just Work with
> easy_install the way it Just Works with most things.

Please understand that this is the fault of easy_install, not of .pth
files. There is no technical need for easy_install to rewrite .pth
files on installation. It could just as well have created new .pth
files, rather than modifying existing ones.

If you always use --single-version-externally-managed with easy_install,
it will stop editing .pth files on installation.

Regards,
Martin