[Distutils] "Python Package Management Sucks"

[Jim Fulton]

On Sep 23, 2008, at 5:44 PM, Rick Warner wrote:

> Jeff Younker wrote:
>> I have to say, as a developer, and a system administrator, I like  
>> setuptools.   It does
>> what I need.  Could it be better?  Sure.  For what I use python for  
>> on a day-to-day
>> basis it makes my life a thousand times better than it was before  
>> setuptools.  Nothing
>> ruins your day more than spending *hours* tracing down package  
>> dependencies
>> just to get the *one* package you need to allow you to perform some  
>> crucial task.
>> It's even worse when you have to do it on multiple architectures.
>>
>> Perl's package location and installation system (CPAN) is one of  
>> the primary facts
>> contributing to its success.   Perl is a pig.  It's a charming pig  
>> that can do lots of tricks,
>> but a pig none the less.  What makes it shine is CPAN. And here's  
>> the catch:  CPAN
>> isn't really any better than setuptools.  It's got warts and nuts  
>> all over the place, but
>> it works.
>
> And CPAN has some HUGE advantages over setuptools: it is designed as  
> a repository, and it is replicated.   Which means it is dependable.   
> Anyone who suffered through the multiple outages of PyPI (which in  
> not replicated) over the past year or so, or the ongoing outages of  
> the many repositories across the web to which PyPI directs users/ 
> processes, can understand why this is important.


Actually, PyPI is replicated.  See, for example, http://download.zope.org/simple/ 
.

It may be that some of the mirrors should be better advertised.

Jim

--
Jim Fulton
Zope Corporation