[XML-SIG] Problem Installing PyXML

[Fred L. Drake, Jr.]

Matt Gushee writes:
 > "Some distributors" means most Linux distributions, I believe--certainly
 > RedHat and Debian, and probably all other RPM-based distros as well. You
 > might have to get used to it ;-)

There lies the beauty of open source:  I can expect someone who knows
about the installation on those platforms to contribute the required
information.  When it comes to the python/python2 distinction, and the
separation of the development support from the main package, I find it
very difficult to understand how and why the lines get drawn where
they do, and really can't imagine how it's served anyone well.

Do I have to "get used to it"?  Well, that's what's installed on my
Linux machines, but I don't use that installation, because it just
doesn't suit my purposes.  Because I don't use it, I've little idea
what needs to be done to support it.

Doug said:
 > Thanks for clearing it up.  Maybe if the timing is such that it will
 > be a while before 2.3 comes out, the PyXML README could be amended to
 > say
 >
 >    "The only requirements for installing the package are Python
 >     2.0 or later, and a C compiler.   Note that the Python must
 >     actually be an INSTALLed python, rather than one that is being
 >     used directly from Python's build area.  This release has been
 >     tested with Python 2.x"

That sounds very reasonable, until there's a better way.

 > perhaps with a more precise rendering of "2.x" at the end there...

Perhaps... but I *do* test changes with 2.0.1, 2.1.3, 2.2.1, and
2.3a0.  So I'm not entirely sure what I should put there unless I also
test with 2.0, 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, and 2.2.  (Alternately, convince
Guido to make it easier to install multiple Python patch releases
side-by-side, and I'll be glad to test with *all* of them.)


  -Fred

-- 
Fred L. Drake, Jr.  <fdrake at acm.org>
PythonLabs at Zope Corporation