[Distutils] What is the reason for requiring that an explicitly set egg-install installation is in the path?

[Jim Fulton]

Phillip J. Eby wrote:
> At 10:08 AM 5/18/2006 -0400, Jim Fulton wrote:
> 
>> If I explicitly specify an installation directory, for example, by
>> specifying:
>>
>>    [install]
>>    install_lib = ~/py-lib
>>    install_scripts = ~/bin
>>
>> in setup.cfg, setuptools gives me an error is the specified
>> lib dir isn't in the Python path.
>>
>> Why is this?  Is this for my protection? If so, I don't need a path
>> nanny. :)
> 
> 
> Maybe not, but everybody else does.  ;)

Says you.

>>   I can understand this, to some degree, if --prefix is used,
>> but if I specifically set an install location, setuptools should trust
>> that I know what the heck I'm doing.
> 
> 
> EasyInstall is telling you that as things stand, it can't accomplish 
> what you asked it to -- specifically to install to that directory in 
> such a way that the package is importable.  If you use -m (aka 
> --multi-version), then it will not care because getting stuff on the 
> runtime path is then *your* responsibility, not setuptools'.
> 
> The issue here is that when you install eggs without -m, the target 
> directory must support .pth files.  To do that, it must be on PYTHONPATH 
> (and use a site.py hack) or it must be a "site" directory.  You can 
> assert that a directory is a "site" directory using --site-dirs, and 
> EasyInstall will then believe you.
> 
> In short, use -m or --site-dirs, and in either case EasyInstall will 
> permit you to be responsible for the results, without nannying.  But if 
> you don't use either of those options, then it will want proof of your 
> sanity (i.e. a correct PYTHONPATH) when installing to a non-site 
> directory.  :)

How about an i_do_not_need_a_path_nanny in the config file? ;)


Jim


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