[Numpy-discussion] del( distutils )

[Les Schaffer]

I am just trying to compile the latest CVS updates on NumPy, and am
getting very cranky about the dependence of build process on
distutils.

let me say it politely, using distutils at this point is for the
birds.

maybe for distributing released versions to the general public, where
the distutils setup.py script has been tested on many platforms, is a
long term solution.

but for right now, i miss the Makefile stuff. 

an example:

(gustav)~/system/numpy/Numerical/: python setup.py build
running build
[snip]
/usr/bin/egcc -c -I/usr/include/python1.5 -IInclude -O3 -mpentium -fpic Src/_numpymodule.c Src/arrayobject.c Src/ufuncobject.c
Src/ufuncobject.c:783: conflicting types for `PyUFunc_FromFuncAndData'
/usr/include/python1.5/ufuncobject.h:100: previous declaration of `PyUFunc_FromFuncAndData'
Src/ufuncobject.c: In function `PyUFunc_FromFuncAndData':
Src/ufuncobject.c:805: structure has no member named `doc'
Src/ufuncobject.c: In function `ufunc_getattr':
Src/ufuncobject.c:955: structure has no member named `doc'
[blah blah blah]

if this was from running make, i could be inside xemacs and click on
the damn error and go right to the line in question. now, i gotta
horse around, its a waste of time.

another example, i posed to c.l.p a week or so ago. where it turned
out that distutils doesnt know enough that, for example, arrayobject.h
in distribution is newer than the one in /usr/include/python1.5 so
breaks the build when API changes have been made. distutils should at
leaast get the order of the -I's correct. but we're not a distutils
SIG, we're NumPy, right?

can we please go back, at least for now, to using -- or at a minimum
distributing -- the Makefile's?

les schaffer