[Python-Dev] Status of packaging in 3.3

[Alex Clark]

Hi,

On 6/21/12 1:20 PM, Tarek Ziadé wrote:
> On 6/21/12 6:44 PM, Chris McDonough wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Yes. At the very least, there will be updated development snapshots
>>> (which are what buildout uses anyway).
>>>
>>> (Official releases are in a bit of a weird holding pattern.
>>> distribute's versioning scheme leads to potential confusion: if I
>>> release e.g. 0.6.1, then it sounds like it's a lesser version than
>>> whatever distribute is up to now.  OTOH, releasing a later version
>>> number than distribute implies that I'm supporting their feature
>>> enhancements, and I really don't want to add new features to 0.6...  but
>>> don't have time right now to clean up all the stuff I started in the 0.7
>>> line either, since I've been *hoping* that the work on packaging would
>>> make 0.7 unnecessary.  And let's not even get started on the part where
>>> system-installed copies of distribute can prevent people from
>>> downloading or installing setuptools in the first place.)
>>
>>
>> Welp, I don't want to get in the middle of that whole mess.  But maybe
>> the distribute folks would be kind enough to do a major version bump
>> in their next release; e.g. 1.67 instead of 0.67.  That said, I don't
>> think anyone would be confused by overlapping version numbers between
>> the two projects.
> Oh yeah no problem, if Philip backports all the things we've done like
> Py3 compat, and bless more people to maintain setuptools, we can even
> discontinue distribute !
>
> If not, I think you are just being joking here -- we don't want to go
> back into the lock situation we've suffered for many years were PJE is
> the only maintainer then suddenly disappears for a year, telling us no
> one that is willing to maintain setuptools is able to do so. (according
> to him)
>
>
>> It's known that they have been diverging for a while.
> Yeah the biggest difference is Py3 compat, other than that afaik I don't
> think any API has been removed or modified.
>
>
> In my opinion, distribute is the only project that should go forward
> since it's actively maintained and does not suffer from the bus factor.

+1. I can't help but cringe when I read this (sorry, PJ Eby!):

"Official releases are in a bit of a weird holding pattern." due to 
distribute.

Weren't they in a bit of a weird holding pattern before distribute? 
Haven't they always been in a bit of a weird holding pattern?

Let's let setuptools be setuptools and distribute be distribute i.e. as 
long as distribute exists, I don't care at all about setuptools' release 
schedule (c.f. PIL/Pillow) and I like it that way :-). If one day 
setuptools or packaging/distutils2 comes along and fixes everything, 
then distribute can cease to exist.



Alex




-- 
Alex Clark · http://pythonpackages.com