[Python-Dev] request for comments - standardization of python's purelib and platlib

[David Lyon]

Hi Jan,

It's not impossible, but you have some dependencies.

If you can patch distutils within Suse, then it mightn't be so
difficult. Distutils is not much more than a file copier.

Inside distutils, a lot of the paths that you are talking
about are hardcoded. 

> One, python depends on the "lib" directory. (from distro's point of
> view, prefix is /usr, so let's talk /usr/lib) Due to this, it's
> impossible to install python under /usr/lib64 without heavy patching.

correction - light patching. 

> Repeated attempts to bring python developers to acknowledge and rectify
> the situation have all failed (common argument here is "that would mean
> redesign of distutils and huge parts of whatnot").

Make it a zope/plone issue... and something might get done about it....

haha

If it's a windows or linux issue... pour petrol on it and light a match..

seriously... it's not major refactoring.. it's just changing a few
conditional
constants.. within distutils..

> Let's put our heads together and choose good default locations for
> purelib and platlib. Then add support to python for recognizing the
> locations by default, and possibly leave note in FHS that "this is the
> place".

Sure - discuss away. But you might end up having to patch your own
distribution.

> 2 - the sharedir way
> purelib = /usr/share/python/X.Y
> platlib = /usr/lib(64)/pythonX.Y/site-packages
> 
> pros:
> + clean separation of purelib - nice!
> + unheard of - a good place to start anew
> cons:
> - FHS states that /usr/share is for data. But OTOH, they don't say much
> about platform-independent bytecode. We could probably get an exception
> for this.
> - unheard of - everyone will be surprised

+1

Go try...

David

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pythonpkgmgr/