[Python-Dev] Use ptyhon -s as default shbang for system python executables/daemons

[Antoine Pitrou]

On Mon, 23 Mar 2015 08:06:13 -0700
Toshio Kuratomi <a.badger at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > I really think Donald has a good point when he suggests a specific
> > virtualenv for system programs using Python.
> > 
> The isolation is what we're seeking but I think the amount of work required
> and the added complexity for the distributions will make that hard to get
> distributions to sign up for.
> 
> If someone had the time to write a front end to install packages into
> a single "system-wide isolation unit" whose backend was a virtualenv we
> might be able to get distributions on-board with using that.

I don't think we're asking distributions anything. We're suggesting a
possible path, but it's not python-dev's job to dictate distributions
how they should package Python.

The virtualenv solution has the virtue that any improvement we might
put in it to help system packagers would automatically benefit everyone.
A specific "system Python" would not.

> The front end would need to install software so that you can still invoke
> /usr/bin/system-application and "system-application" would take care of
> activating the virtualenv.  It would need to be about as simple to build
> as the present python2 setup.py build/install with the flexibility in
> options that the distros need to install into FHS approved paths.  Some
> things like man pages, locale files, config files, and possibly other data
> files might need to be installed outside of the virtualenv directory.

Well, I don't understand what difference a virtualenv would make.
Using a virtualenv amounts to invoking a different interpreter path.
The rest of the filesystem (man pages locations, etc.) is still
accessible in the same way. But I may miss something :-)

Regards

Antoine.