[Distutils] Re: [XML-SIG] Problem installing PyXMLv0.6.6

[Thomas Heller]

From: "Fred L. Drake, Jr." <fdrake@acm.org>
>
> In a message to the XML-SIG,
> Thomas Heller writes:
>  > From: "G=F6ran Rolfsson" <Goran.Rolfsson@reachin.se>
>  > > Hi! I first tried the exe-version ( I have NT), but it wants me to=
 select
>  > > the Python installation to use, without showing me any to choose a=
mong, and
>  > > without the possibility to specify a path. And yes, I have Python =
installed
>  > > on my machine (actually in several versions).
>  >
>  > G=F6ran,
>  >
>  > the exe-version is probably built with distutils bdist_wininst comma=
nd.
>  > This looks in the registry under
>  > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Python\PythonCore\x.y\InstallPath
>  > to find the location where Pythin is installed. (x.y is the required
>  > version 2.0, 2.1, whatever).
>  > This registry key is created by the installer when you install Pytho=
n
>  > itself. If you compiled it from source, it will not be present.
>

>   Would it make sense to enhance the search strategy a bit?  I'll
> propose the following strawman:
>
>         1.  Start with what it already does.
>         2.  Search the PATH for "python.exe"
>         3.  Ask the user to specify exactly where is should go.
Actually it's a little more complicated than this.
It does not only need the directory where python.exe is found,
it must also make sure this is the correct python version. How
can you find out from python.exe?

>
>   I don't know how much work this would be, but it might help people
> that do build from source, or who use an alternate installer that
> doesn't upt things in the registry (PythonWare, for instance).

It's strange that nobody has complained so far...
Maybe people compiling python from source also compile
extensions from source? And everyone else either run ActiveState
Python or PythonLabs?

Thomas