[Pythonmac-SIG] PackMan engine version 0.4

[Bob Ippolito]

On Mar 3, 2004, at 8:57 AM, has wrote:

> Bob wrote:
>
>>> Given the size and success of PyPi, might it make more sense now to 
>>> throw in with that than maintain a separate, and comparatively 
>>> little supported, system?
>>
>> Distutils doesn't directly support binary distribution, and thus 
>> requires yet another complex set of dependencies: properly configured 
>> compiler(s), and potentially C libraries.
>
> Couple quick questions for clarification while working on a reply to 
> other points:
>
> 1. Can Python module binaries be distributed using standard .pkg 
> installers?

click, click, click, click.. wait 5 minutes to optimize.

Yes, they can.. but ugh.  Packages with a bunch of dependencies would 
be really difficult to represent as a pkg properly.  You wouldn't want 
to use a mpkg, because they you would need all of the original pkg 
files for dependencies.. and using an install test script would be 
really annoying.  Also, it's not entirely clear *which* Python a pkg 
file would install to, and it would be a bit much of a burden on the 
user to choose a site-packages folder.

> 2. How big a deal is the compiler dependency on OS X? I realise it was 
> a non-starter for OS9, but OS X provides the BSD layer [as standard??] 
> which includes a ready-to-use gcc compiler. (e.g. I've had no problems 
> installing modules that build extensions from source, and I'd be the 
> first to wring hands and whine if it didn't work.:)

It's a really big deal, compiling something like VTK can take a REALLY 
REALLY long time to compile, SciPy needs a fortran compiler to get 
everything, wxPython and PyQt are other big ones.  It might be 
preferable to compile some of the scientific stuff with an 
expensive/exotic compiler, too.  And then there's the C dependency 
game.  If you have Fink installed, it can really screw things up, too.

Basically, you just haven't been trying to compile the 'right' modules, 
and you don't have an environment that gets in the way.

-bob
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