Help with Python+Bazaar+Launchpad

[TimeHorse]

Hello,

I am trying to to create a branch of the bzr mirror for the current
Python Trunk 2.6 development so I can finish my work on Issue 2636.  I
am not a core developer but am trying to create this branch so it can
be reviewed by a core developer I am working with.  Because I develop
on multiple machines, I want to set up a central repository for my
branch database and would like to use Launchpad to host it.  Python's
bzr archive is mirrored on launchpad via the bzr address lp:python, so
that should be the parent branch.  I can create a branch on 1 machine
locally, but I cannot upload (push) that branch onto launchpad, which
is preventing me from doing my development because I don't have access
to all machines at all times.  I need to have one shared branch
between all my development platforms.  So, I have tried and failed at
all the following:

1) Click the create branch button on the launchpad interface; this
creates an empty branch which cannot be populated.

2) Branch from lp:python to a local install then branch from that then
try and upload to launchpad.  But that means my branch is the child of
the child of the mainline-trunk, so merging is too complicated.

3) Branch directly onto launchpad via "bzr branch lp:python bzr+ssh://
<name>@bazaar.launchpad.net/~<name>/python/<branch-name>".  This
creates a NON-empty branch on Launchpad but I cannot check it out or
pull it.  Also, it would not be created as a tree-less (--no-trees)
which is how it should be created.

4) I have tried to directly use my first branch from step 2 (from
lp:python to my local disc) to push an instance onto launchpad, but
this creates an empty branch too, and as an empty branch it cannot be
checked out or pulled.

I know the type of Bazaar setup I want is the type specified in
Chapter 5 of the User Guild: decentralized, multi-platform, single- or
multiple-user.  I just can't figure out how to do that with a branch
from python.  Chapter 5 talks about setting up a new database with
init-repo and pushing new content, but I want to take a branch of an
existing database and push it to the public launchpad server.  I just
can't for the life of me figure out how to do it.  I have bzr 1.3 and
1.3.1 and neither have succeeded.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I've totally lost an entire
weekend of development which I could have used to complete item 1 of
my issue and run gprof over the new engine.  I really need help with
all this difficult administrative stuff so I can get back to
development and get things done in time for the June beta.  PLEASE
HELP!