[Distutils] pip on windows: life without eggs ok?

[Reinout van Rees]

Hi,

I keep forgetting in discussions that pip doesn't support eggs. Their 
main usecase is installing binary python eggs on windows, I'd say. I use 
linux and OSX myself, so my windows experience is limited.

Question: is pip's compile-from-source character a problem on windows? 
Does everyone use a clicky-click .exe installer for binary packages 
instead of pip? Is easy_install still more popular?


Note, I'm not talking about installing pure python packages, but more 
stuff like mapnik, pil, matplotlib and psycopg2: packages that have C 
bindings.


I'm asking because I'm writing a Django book and I don't want to get 
clobbered for advising pip when it won't install a mysql or postgres 
binding without major work. So I'd love some feedback from windows users!


(I'm mostly using buildout myself, but I'm only describing that near the 
end of my book).


Reinout

-- 
Reinout van Rees                    http://reinout.vanrees.org/
reinout at vanrees.org             http://www.nelen-schuurmans.nl/
"If you're not sure what to do, make something. -- Paul Graham"