[Pythonmac-SIG] Unwanted PPC build in setuptools

[Robert Kern]

On 2009-10-22 07:02 AM, Ronald Oussoren wrote:
>
> On 21 Oct, 2009, at 22:14, Dave Peterson wrote:
>
>> Ronald Oussoren wrote:
>>>
>>> On 19 Oct, 2009, at 23:20, Robert Kern wrote:
>>>
>>>> I presume he's using the Enthought Python Distribution (disclosure:
>>>> I work for Enthought), which does have such a version number. It's
>>>> basically a not-entirely-palatable hack to make sure that users can
>>>> install and uninstall EPD in order to try it out without breaking
>>>> their previously installed Pythons.
>>>
>>> Wouldn't it be better to use '--with-framework-name', IIRC I
>>> introduced that in 2.6:
>>>
>>> ./configure --enable-framework --with-framework-name=EPD
>>>
>>> This will create a framework named 'EPD.framework' instead of
>>> 'Python.framework'.
>>
>> (I also work for Enthought)
>>
>> EPD is still using Python 2.5 as its base, though we expect to be on
>> 2.6 shortly.
>>
>> I'm not clear on what the name of the framework effects. Would you be
>> able to install pre-built binary distributions, built against an "EPD"
>> framework, into a "Python" framework? And vice-versa? If not, then
>> this probably isn't a usable solution for us.
>
> Extensions are not linked to the framework, extensions build for a
> Python.framework should therefore work unchanged in a EPD.framework.
> That said, I haven't checked yet if 3th party tools work with a renamed
> Python framework, I know that py2app hardcodes the name Python.framework
> and IIRC virtualenv does the same.
>
> Both could and should be changed, and that's something on my todo list
> for various reasons. One of which is that I want to have side-by-side
> installs of a couple of build variations of Python on my machine.

It would be great to see more support for alternative framework names. It would 
be a much better alternative. There are also other packages, primary non-Python 
ones like VTK, that still expect Python.framework. With enough effort, I assume 
we can make them work, though. At the time we did this, the version number 
change seemed like an easier alternative. It tends to only generate a couple of 
"WTF?" moments rather than real problems, and we are the ones who usually get 
the support emails.

-- 
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