[Python-Dev] buildtime vs runtime in Distutils

[Brett Cannon]

On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 05:31, Georg Brandl <g.brandl at gmx.net> wrote:
> Antoine Pitrou schrieb:
>> Tarek Ziadé <ziade.tarek <at> gmail.com> writes:
>>>
>>> This cannot work on all platforms, when our Makefile is not shipped
>>> with python but python-devel. (like Fedora)
>>
>> This practice is stupid anyway, because it means you have to install
>> python-devel even to install pure Python packages with setuptools/distribute.
>> Just ask Fedora, Mandriva and friends to change their packaging practice
>> (Mandriva already has a bug open for that by the way).
>
> +1.  They are the ones splitting what "make install" installs into several
> packages, so they are the ones who have to fix the resulting dependency
> problems.

+1 from me as well. Python is designed to run as a whole. If they
choose to ignore our design decisions they do so at their own peril.

Now if you want to put the time in, Tarek, to make sure distutils can
be removed from the stdlib and have everything still work so the linux
distros can add distutils to python-devel that's fine, but once again,
they are the ones mucking around with things in a way we did not
design for, so only do it if you really want to.

-Brett