[OT] Weaknesses of distro package managers - was Re: Python 2 to 3 conversion - embrace the pain

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Tuesday 17 March 2015 12:46, Michael Torrie wrote:

> Python3 can be installed from Software Collections (and that is somewhat
> reasonable), but it won't integrate by default, so you can't use
> #!/usr/bin/python3 in your apps by default without altering the system
> paths.


If RedHat installs Python 3 in stupid places, that's a RedHat stupidity, not 
a problem with package management.

But, having said that, it's trivially easy to add /opt/python3 to your PATH, 
or add a symlink from /usr/bin/python3 to wherever RH puts it. Is this 
ideal? No, of course not. But it's hardly a road-block. It's not even a 
barrier. It's barely a bump.

I think it's awfully precious to rule out using python3 for an application 
because you need to make a couple of minor changes to the environment to 
make it work. I guess that boils down to the difference between developers 
who have the attitude "I'll just make it work, no matter what" and those 
with the attitude "If everything in the environment isn't completely 
perfect, no can do."




-- 
Steve