[Python-Dev] Batteries Included?

[Jack Jansen]

Recently, Jeremy Hylton <jeremy@cnri.reston.va.us> said:
> Perhaps the right long-term solution (post-distutils) is to split
> Python into a core architected by Guido and a bazaar-style standard
> library maintained in a more apache-style.

I can't help feeling uncomfortable with this. I've had quite some work 
to get an Apache with SSL up and running, even though someone gave me
quite precise instructions. With Perl I fared even worse, despite
their distutils-like package, when I wanted to try a PalmPilot package 
for Unix that needed Perl. I finally had to give up after quite some
effort because the addon installers kept finding the older version of
Perl that the system mgr had installed in stead of my newer version.

I think distutils will be wonderful for us, the Python community, but
something more RedHattish is needed for the general world who just want 
Python plus a certain set of extensions because some application needs 
it, so they can just download a fresh copy of ParrotPython 3.4.4 and
know the application will work, without interfering with another
application that happens to use Inquisition 1a5 and lives elsewhere on 
the disk.

And maybe the answer is a much simpler freezing process, like
MacPython BuildApplication where any Python user can drop a script on
it and end up with a fully self-contained app guaranteed (well.... No
reports to the contrary have been heard so far, at least:-) to contain
everything needed and not interfere with an existing MacPython
installation (or be interfered with by it). Then a popular app will
have prebuilt binaries available for all platforms quickly, made by
the Python community, and the enduser interested in the app but not in 
Python can simply download that.

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