[SciPy-dev] [Numpy-discussion] Thoughts on making it easier for numarray users to transition to scipy_core

[Robert Kern]

Arnd Baecker wrote:

> I just had a look at http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/setuptools
> They even have what they call `bootstrap module`, ez_setup.py,
> which by inclusion
> "will automatically download and install setuptools if the user is
> building your package from source and doesn't have a suitable version
> already installed."
> 
> (Personally, I am not a big fan of software "phoning" home/somewhere,
> but during installation, one could just check if a sufficiently
> new setuptools exists, and if not,  just
>    print "please run `python ez_setup.py` before installation"
>    print "to get a sufficiently new setuptools"
> and stop.

Believe me, I don't like that advice either and would veto our use of the
ez_setup.py script at all. It has proven to be distinctly not robust. My
recommendation in fact would be to point people to the setuptools tarball on
PyPI and tell them to "python setup.py install" it after reading the directions
and setting up their ~/.pydistutils.cfg appropriately.

-- 
Robert Kern
robert.kern at gmail.com

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
 Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
  -- Richard Harter