[Python-Dev] PEP 453 (pip bootstrapping) ready for pronouncement?

[Barry Warsaw]

On Sep 25, 2013, at 05:33 PM, Donald Stufft wrote:

>I think it should be placed in the source tree for the stable releases. The
>reasoning is that 2.7 is going to stick around for a long time. Immediately
>this won't be ubiquitous but as time goes on you'll be able to be ensured
>that a ``python -m ensure pip`` exists so that in situations where you don't
>have pip you'll be able to install it.
>
>While not directly relevant to the change I do think this is something users
>support. I've received a fair but of feedback as I was writing the original
>draft of the PEP and then throughout the process when me and Nick
>were working on it. Almost all of it was positive (some of it extremely so)
>a fair bit of them pointed out the backport to 2.7 as something they were
>*really* wanting.
>
>An early draft of this did not have the backport to 2.7 and when I showed
>*that* version around to get feedback people were less enthusiastic
>about it and generally viewed it as "nice but worthless to me for N years".

Yeah, I get all this, but it's essentially the same reasoning that lead to
Python 2.2.1's addition of True and False.  The same flaw occurs though
because you cannot guarantee that invocation of `python -m ensurepip` will
work unless you micro version check (LBYL) or prepare to catch resulting
errors.  This essentially means that if you want to write portable Python 2.7
code and scripts, you have to be very cautious, or what works on one box won't
necessarily work on another, even though they both have "Python 2.7".

It also means that anybody who's documenting about this great new feature has
to warn people that, well, maybe it won't work on your machine even though you
have Python 2.7 because you don't have a new enough Python 2.7.

It means that not all Python 2.7's are alike in a rather fundamental and
highly visible way.

I personally think that's a recipe for more problems than it solves, and if I
was the RM for 2.7 I would not allow it.  But I'm not.

>What users want isn't rationale in and of itself but I think it's an important
>data point, especially given how long 2.7.LASTEVER is going to be
>relevant to end users.

Users want what users want.  It's our job to make the best technical decisions
based on all the facts.  I understand that Python 2.7 will be around for a
long time, and that it would be very convenient to do this.  Why is this not
opening up the door to more new features being added in future Python 2.7
point releases (or any other stable release)?

At least I think the burden should be very high, and the PEP should do a
better job of explaining why *no* other option will accomplish the goal.

Cheers,
-Barry
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