pip/pip3 confusion and keeping up to date

[Chris Green]

Jon Ribbens <jon+usenet at unequivocal.eu> wrote:
> On 2023-11-03, Karsten Hilbert <Karsten.Hilbert at gmx.net> wrote:
> > Am Thu, Nov 02, 2023 at 04:07:33PM -0600 schrieb Mats Wichmann via Python-list:
> >> >So they now have only python3 and there is no python executable in
> >> >PATH.
> >>
> >> FWIW, for this you install the little stub package python-is-python3.
> >> Especially if you want to keep a python2 installation around -
> >> "python" will still be python3 in this case.
> >
> > Since you seem knowledgeable in this area: Do you know of a
> > resource for learning the *canonical* way of packaging a
> > Python application for installation via apt which
> >
> > - needs some packages available via apt
> > - needs some packages only available via pip
> > - needs some packages newer than what is available via apt
> >
> > ?
> 
> I suspect the answer to that is that you would have to:
> 
>   * create packages yourself for the unpackaged dependencies
>   * create a dependency graph of *every* Python package in the package
>     repository (whether or not the package is relevant to what you're doing)
>   * work out what versions of every Python package are required in order
>     to have a dependency graph that can be successfully resolved, taking
>     into account the requirements of your new package also
>   * contact every single maintainer of every single one of the packages
>     that needs updating and persuade them to update their packages and
>     reassure them that you are getting all the other package maintainers
>     to update their packages accordingly and that you have a plan and
>     that you know what you're doing
> 
>   ... screen fades to black, title card "3 years later", fade in to ...
> 
>   * publish your package
> 
Surely it's not that bad, the vast bulk of Debian, Ubuntu and other
distributions are installed via systems that sort out dependencies once
given a particular package's requirements.  Python is surely not
unique in its dependency requirements.

-- 
Chris Green
·