another distutils question

[Robert Kern]

Keith Perkins wrote:

> I did install it in ~/.script/data.txt, and distutils set the
> user/group as root.  Is it impossible to install this with distutils?
> Since I'm running setup as root, should I just add a class or method to
> chown the datafolder/file to the installer. Should I use autotools
> instead? I haven't looked into eggs yet would that be a better choice? The
> data file is something that is necessary for the program (it reads it and
> prints out a random line--the whole idea of the script)if that's all I
> wanted it to do I wouldn't have any problems--I could even include it as a
> list in the script file, but I would like the user to be able to add other
> data. 

Don't use "setup.py install" to install that directory. Imagine a case where the 
root user installs the package for everyone on the system to use. How do the 
multiple users get ~/.script/?

Instead, include the default data inside the package (read-only to non-root 
users). Then allow the script itself to create the directory the first time it 
is run (read-write, and it should then automatically be accessible to the user 
that ran the script). You might also add a command-line option to *only* install 
that directory.

-- 
Robert Kern

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma
  that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had
  an underlying truth."
   -- Umberto Eco