[Distutils] setuptools passing arguments/settings to dependencies' dependencies

[P.J. Eby]

At 05:54 AM 5/7/2010 -0700, Kent wrote:
> >
> > Does this still work if you run "easy_install ." instead of 
> "setup.py install"?
> >
>
>No, when I try this it attempts to download from the internet:
>"Downloading 
>http://pypi.python.org/packages/source/P/Paste/Paste-1.7.3.1.tar.gz#md5=743deb94d3f54ba25522f7d5116a90f8"
>
>while processing a dependency's dependency.
>
>This happens despite the fact that I have this section in setup.cfg:
>
>=========================================
>[easy_install]
>index_url = ../../thirdparty

I thought you were using --find-links as of your last email?  So, I'm 
a little confused as to what scenario you're actually trying to fix.

The next thing I would do is verify that the config file is actually 
being read, by setting the DISTUTILS_DEBUG environment variable to 
"yes", and then running "easy_install -v ." and observing the output.


>Like I mentioned, I do have a workaround in place that is working for
>me.  I post it here in case it may help others:

Please don't do that, and *nobody else should do it either*.  You are 
going to ERASE people's personal distutils configuration files with 
that code!  (You're not even checking to see if it exists first!)

I would be *extremely* upset if I tried to install your package and 
it erased one of my .pydistutils.cfg files, with all their command 
aliases, wikiup configs, path customizations, etc.

(Of course, when run under easy_install control, the sandbox should 
catch your setup script's antics and terminate it with an error 
without harming any files, but still...  it's pure evil and the sort 
of thing that should NEVER, ever be done in a setup.py, on pain of 
banishment from PyPI.)