[Distutils] question about future pip capabilities

[Darren Dale]

Hello,

I apologize for cross-posting. I am working on improving how I
distribute a few python packages, and in the process I have run into
some questions that involve easy_install, setuptools/distribute/, pip,
and the relationships between them.

I was originally planning on using easy_install to take advantage of
extras (easy_install foo[bar]) and automatically install dependencies,
but I just discovered that easy_install does not support
post-installation routines, which I need in order to add entries to
the windows start menu. Pip will, I think, support post_installation
routines if I implement a custom install command and pass it to
setup(). But pip does not yet support extras or installation from
windows binary installers, and does not support installation from
eggs. The pip documentation states:

* It cannot install from eggs. It only installs from source. (In the
future it would be good if it could install binaries from Windows .exe
or .msi -- binary install on other platforms is not a priority.)
* It doesn't understand Setuptools extras (like package[test]). This
should be added eventually.
* It is incompatible with some packages that customize distutils or
setuptools in their setup.py files.
* Maybe it doesn't work on Windows. At least, the author doesn't test
on Windows often.

Questions concerning pip:

* Is there a roadmap or timeline concerning installing from windows
exe or msi files? I didn't see anything at bitbucket.
* Is there a roadmap or timeline concerning extras? I didn't see
anything at bitbucket.
* Could anyone please expand on the comment that pip is incompatible
with some packages that customize distutils or setuptools in their
setup.py files, and that it maybe doesn't work on windows?

Questions concerning Distribute:

* The documentation states that easy_install will be deprecated, and
that we should use pip. Isn't this premature, given the current
discrepancy between the capabilities and platform support of pip and
easy_install?

Questions for pip and Distribute:

* How closely coupled are these projects?
* I have a bit of time after hours, how can I help?

Darren