[Python-Dev] Python install layout and the PATH on win32

[Jim J. Jewett]

In http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2012-March/117617.html
van.lindberg at gmail.com posted:

> As noted earlier in the thread, I also change my proposal to maintain 
> the existing differences between system installs and user installs.

[Wanted lower case, which should be irrelevant; sysconfig.get_python_inc
already assumes lower case despite the configuration file.]

[Wanted "bin" instead of "Scripts", even though they aren't binaries.]

If there are to be any changes, I *am* tempted to at least harmonize
the two install types, but to use the less redundant system form.  If
the user is deliberately trying to hide that it is version 33 (or even
that it is python), then so be it; defaulting to redundant information
is not an improvement.

Set the base/userbase at install time, with defaults of

    base = %SystemDrive%\{py_version_nodot}
    userbase = %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\{py_version_nodot}

    usedbase = base for system installs; userbase for per-user installs.

Then let the rest default to subdirectories; sysconfig.get_config_vars
on windows explicitly doesn't provide as many variables as unix, just
INCLUDEPY (which should default to {usedbase}/include) and
LIBDEST and BINLIBDEST (both of which should default to {usedbase}/lib).

And no, I'm not forgetting data or scripts.  As best I can tell,
sysconfig doesn't actually expose them, and there is no Scripts
directory on my machine (except inside Tools).  Perhaps some
installers create it when they install their own extensions?

-jJ

-- 

If there are still threading problems with my replies, please 
email me with details, so that I can try to resolve them.  -jJ