[Python-Dev] Standard library vs Standard distribution?

[Nathaniel Smith]

On Thu, Nov 29, 2018 at 10:22 AM Antoine Pitrou <antoine at python.org> wrote:
>
> Le 29/11/2018 à 19:07, Steve Dower a écrit :
> > On 29Nov2018 0923, Antoine Pitrou wrote:
> >> I think the whole argument amounts to hand waving anyway.  You are
> >> inventing an extended distribution which doesn't exist (except as
> >> Anaconda) to justify that we shouldn't accept more modules in the
> >> stdlib.  But obviously maintaining an extended distribution is a lot
> >> more work than accepting a single module in the stdlib, and that's why
> >> you don't see anyone doing it, even though people have been floating the
> >> idea for years.
> >
> > https://anaconda.com/
> > https://www.activestate.com/products/activepython/
> > http://winpython.github.io/
> > http://python-xy.github.io/
> > https://www.enthought.com/product/canopy/
> > https://software.intel.com/en-us/distribution-for-python
> > http://every-linux-distro-ever.example.com
> >
> > Do I need to keep going?
>
> I'm sure you could.  So what?  The point is that it's a lot of work to
> maintain if you want to do it seriously and with quality standards that
> would actually _satisfy_ the people for whom PyPI is not an option.

Yeah, I draw two conclusions from the list above:

- Paul expressed uncertainty about how many people are in his position
of needing a single download with all the batteries included, but
obviously he's not alone. So many people want a
single-box-of-batteries that whole businesses are being built on
fulfilling that need.

- Currently, our single-box-of-batteries is doing such a lousy job of
solving Paul's problem, that people are building whole businesses on
our failure.

If Python core wants to be in the business of providing a
single-box-of-batteries that solves Paul's problem, then we need to
rethink how the stdlib works. Or, we could decide we want to leave
that to the distros that are better at it, and focus on our core
strengths like the language and interpreter. But if the stdlib isn't a
single-box-of-batteries, then what is it?

It's really hard to tell whether specific packages would be good or
bad additions to the stdlib, when we don't even know what the stdlib
is supposed to be.

-n

-- 
Nathaniel J. Smith -- https://vorpus.org