[Python-bugs-list] [ python-Bugs-588756 ] python should obey the FHS

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Bugs item #588756, was opened at 2002-07-30 22:12
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Category: Installation
Group: Feature Request
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 3
Submitted By: Matthias Klose (doko)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: python should obey the FHS

Initial Comment:
[From: http://bugs.debian.org/134762]

FHS Compliance - .py{,c} are architecture independant
thus belong in /usr/share

The Python manual makes it clear that byte compiled
python files are
 platform independant, and thus belong in
arch-independant packages and stored in /usr/share, as
per the FHS recommendations for such things.

So the request is to store them in
<prefix>/share/pythonX.Y.


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>Comment By: Jack Jansen (jackjansen)
Date: 2002-08-30 14:33

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Well... the usual way in which people implemented sharing between 
architectures was that the /usr/share hierarchy duplicated the other 
hierarchies (i.e. with bin, lib, etc), and it was simply mounted cross-
platform from an nfs server. That's the architecture the Python install 
was created for. I have no idea why FHS modified this test-and-tried 
layout that's been in use for at least 15 years.

But: if you really want the other layout, why not submit a fix to 
configure.in and Makefile.pre.in? Simply add, say, --fhs-prefix=/usr/
share and if that option is present override the Makefile.pre.in 
declarations for SCRIPTDIR, LIBDEST and INCLUDEDIR?

(Hmm, coming to think of it: it seems rather silly that the FHS puts 
include files into /usr/include, where they aren't shared... If there's one 
thing that can be crossplatform it's source code....)

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Comment By: Matthias Klose (doko)
Date: 2002-08-30 13:30

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when configured with --prefix=/usr/share and
--exec-prefix=/usr, python installs the header files into
/usr/share/include/pythonX.Y, which is at least unusual.
According to the FHS these files should go into
/usr/include/pythonX.Y


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Comment By: Matthias Klose (doko)
Date: 2002-08-30 12:52

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Not yet.

--prefix=/foo/share/pythonX.Y would lead to
/foo/share/pythonX.Y/lib/pythonX.Y.

The SCRIPTDIR is somewhat hardcoded in getpath.c. So it's
not possible
to install into /foo/share/pythonX.Y, only
/foo/share/lib/pythonX.Y is supported.

The FHS doesn't specify where to put files inside
/usr/share, but most distributions put application specific
files directly in /usr/share.


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Comment By: Jack Jansen (jackjansen)
Date: 2002-08-30 10:35

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I'm confused. If you configure with --exec-prefix=/foo --prefix=/foo/share/pythonX.Y isn't that good enough?

If it's good enough (i.e. if it allows you to build a Python that adheres to the FHS if you are so inclined) that I agree with ghaering: there's no reason to force people to adhere to the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard, so let's close the bug.

If it is impossible to make an FHS-compliant distribution with the current setup: please explain.

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Comment By: Matthias Klose (doko)
Date: 2002-08-30 08:57

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The reason given to close the report seems to be invalid.
The FHS has nothing to with Debian (except that we follow
the FHS). The FHS is targeted at Unix distributions, so it's
neither limited to a single distribution nor to Linux
distributions in general.

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Comment By: Gerhard Häring (ghaering)
Date: 2002-08-25 14:41

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Python runs on dozens of platforms besides Debian Linux.
Thus the Linux FHS shouldn't concern Python at all. I'd
propose to close this bug as "Invalid".

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Comment By: Martin v. Löwis (loewis)
Date: 2002-08-03 13:13

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I think this requires a PEP. A Python package can consist of
byte code modules and extension modules; arranging the
package loader to find those in different directories is a
challenge.

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Comment By: Matthias Klose (doko)
Date: 2002-07-30 22:15

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FHS: Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

    http://www.pathname.com/fhs/


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