[Distutils] A prefix option?

[Phillip J. Eby]

At 02:42 PM 2/8/2006 -0800, Ben Bangert wrote:
>I'm wondering if there's any plans for a prefix option, which
>functions like the common makefile prefix option for where the lib/
>bin dir will then be, etc. My main reason for asking is this blog
>entry regarding setuptools installs:
>http://bitworking.org/news/
>Please_stop_using_setuptools__at_least_exclusively__for_now____

Rather than stop using setuptools, package authors should consult:

http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/setuptools#what-your-users-should-know

which has a (hopefully) comprehensive list of things that you may need or 
want to inform your users about.  A --prefix option wouldn't have removed 
the need for *any* of them, I'm afraid.  Note also that among the 
installation options offered at:

http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/EasyInstall#custom-installation-locations

is the option to create a "virtual" Python installation, and the supplied 
virtual-python.py script *does* accept a --prefix option, and would have 
allowed him to do exactly what he wanted to do by simply using the 
~/bin/python created automatically by virtual-python.py.

I've written the author a letter privately apologizing for the 
inconvenience and giving him the links above.  I'll probably also post a 
copy of the letter on my blog, to help raise awareness that setuptools 
using packages should prominently refer to at least the Custom Installation 
Locations link.