bootstrapping on machines without Python

[Martin P. Hellwig]

Jonathan Hartley wrote:
> While examining py2exe et al of late, my thoughts keep returning to
> the idea of writing, in C or similar, a compiled stand-alone
> executable 'bootstrapper', which:
> 1) downloads and install a Python interpreter if none exists
> 2) runs the application's Python source code using this interpreter.
<cut>

I can see two distinctive scenarios:
- Local temporarily installation
- System wide installation (possible conflicts with older versions)

Anyway this reminds me of the web installers where you only download the 
  installer which download the rest from the net, like they used to be 
available from adobe and for java.

It should be doable, for example you have an executable which has only 
one function; download a second stage installer from a fixed location.

That second stage installer is a bit bigger and knows how to check for 
dependencies for that particular platform and install other dependencies.

So you can chain a lot of installers after each other, for example the 
second stage installer can be a python installer then you could do all 
the remaining installing from the convenience of python.


-- 
MPH
http://blog.dcuktec.com
'If consumed, best digested with added seasoning to own preference.'