[Pythonmac-SIG] Appscript Installer 1.1a1

[Bob Ippolito]

On Jun 3, 2005, at 3:22 PM, Nick Matsakis wrote:

>
> On Fri, 3 Jun 2005, Ronald Oussoren wrote:
>
>
>> I don't think that's worth the effort. Someone who goes through the
>> effort of downloading a python 2.4.1 can also download a seperate
>> installer for appscript-for-python2.4 (and every other package  
>> they like
>> to use with python 2.4).
>>
>
> That's the same as saying "someone who does some work can do more  
> work".
> Why should this person do more work when they don't have to?  Why  
> don't we
> just take the half-cent worth of disk space and install the 2.4  
> binaries
> while we're there?

It's not technically possible unless Python 2.4.1 is already  
present.  Also, even if it were possible, no other packages do this  
so the behavior would be surprising to say the least.

The utilities that AppScript ships with can only run with a given  
Python interpreter.  The user should have control over what this is,  
and the best way to do that is simply keep separate packages.

> It's great that Python ships on Macs now, but the python "add-on"
> experience is really weak.  If someone wants to run the latest  
> python on
> their Mac they have to sort through py23Compat, TigerPython23Compat,
> TigerPython24Fix, PantherPythonFix, MacPythonPantherAddons and  
> figure out
> which apply to their system.  If we're taking the time to build an
> installer package, then we shouldn't we spend the effort to make  
> sure our
> users don't have to? To install bdist_mkpg on 10.4 I had to download
> *three* different packages.  Why is this necessary?

What we really need is for someone to write clear and obvious  
documentation as to what you need to get to do Python development,  
but I don't have time to do that any time soon.

We can't issue Software Updates to fix flaws in Apple's operating  
system distribution, and bdist_mpkg has no inherent knowledge of  
patches that it should be installing for various combinations of Mac  
OS X and Python, so it doesn't wrap them up into installer packages.

Just include the relevant dependencies in your distribution if you  
want a single step install.  Python23Compat, and the fixes aren't  
ever going to be updated, so it's not going to cause a problem for  
anyone.

-bob