[Distutils] msi installer for 64-bit Windows?

["Martin v. Löwis"]

> I'm trying to figure out how to produce a Windows installer for
> pure-Python packages such that it will "just run" on a 64-bit Windows
> platform.

You'll need a 64-bit Python installation to build the 64-bit installer.

> The distutils docs for Python 2.7.1 say: ""In most cases, the bdist_msi
> installer is a better choice than the bdist_wininst installer, because it
> provides better support for Win64 platforms, allows administrators to
> perform non-interactive installations, and allows installation through
> group policies.""" but give no more detail.

The Win64 part may be outdated; bdist_wininst can now create Win64
installers (for AMD64) as well.

> Does the win32 version work on win64?

Yes, but it will require a 32-bit Python to be installed on the target
system.

> Is the purpose of changing the name
> solely in order that win64 users are not deterred from using it because
> the name includes "win32"?

Yes, it only affects the resulting filename.

Regards,
Martin