[Distutils] The problem with Setuptools on Python 3.

[David Cournapeau]

Hi Tarek,

Tarek Ziadé wrote:
>
> this can change. I am working on it. I need feedback though.
>
> let me know how my extension code proposal fits your needs.
>
> http://wiki.python.org/moin/Distutils/ManifestPluginSystem/Draft
>   

I will fill in the examples (this pages does not concern manifest only,
then ?) from my own experience.

IMHO, adding plugins systems will not change the fundamental
deficiencies of distutils, though. You may be able to mitigate some
problems, but I don't think you will be able to solve the fundamental
issues, because they are fundamental design issues. The only way to fix
them would induce serious breakage, and in that case, given the quality
of distutils code, starting from scratch would be easier - I have yet
encountered a single major distutils abstraction which was not poorly
conceived and implemented (my own experience is related to build issues,
for which numpy has requirements which go much beyond the usual python
package, though). Commands classes, compiler classes, distributions, all
this is very wrong for someone who wants more than compiling a couple of
C files and tight control.

David