[SciPy-User] Roll your own python distributions

[Gyro Funch]

On 9/12/2013 8:52 PM, David Baddeley wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm wondering if anyone knows of an easy (or relatively easy) way
> of putting together a scientific python distribution with a
> one-click installer. I've got a python package with _lots_ of
> dependencies and would like to give users (with relatively
> limited computer skills) a simple way of installing python, my
> package, and all the dependencies. I have previously told people
> to download EPD, upgrade wxpython, and install a couple of
> additional packages (which is already pushing it in terms of what
> the users are comfortable with). The switch to canopy (with the
> accompanying move to a package management system in which one has
> to manually select which packages to install) makes this
> infeasible. The alternative distributions (PythonXY, Anaconda etc
> ...) are all either 32 bit only, or lack many of the packages I
> need, meaning that I'd need to get users to download a much
> longer list of additional packages. I want a python distribution,
> rather than just a py2exed version as parts of my code don't work
> well with py2exe.
> 
> Has anyone encountered this situation, and what did you do?
> 
> many thanks, David
> 


Hi David,

I recently taught a class in which we used Python and a variety of
scientific packages, and faced a similar problem. My approach was to
get things downloaded and tested locally before providing a
'batteries and extras included' distribution to the students.

I used Python(x,y), installed the necessary software locally into
this distribution, did thorough testing of all of the packages to be
used, zipped the whole enhanced distribution onto a few usb drives,
and had these available for students to copy.

Best regards,
gyro