[Tutor] Does Python support a centralized network install?

[Cliff Wells]

On Wed, 2003-07-30 at 12:27, Jeff Shannon wrote:
> R. Alan Monroe wrote:
> 
> >Can all Windows users on a LAN/WAN cleanly run a central installation of
> >Python from a central server? Or is this not really practical? I think
> >speed would be an issue but is it supported at all?
> >
> 
> This could depend on what you mean by "supported" -- there's (AFAIK) no 
> attempt to specifically support this, nor do I envision it to be likely. 
>  However, I imagine that it might be possible to coerce it into working, 
> within several restrictions.
> 
> 1) You'd need to use a Python installation that had no dependency on the 
> registry.  You could have a script on the central server that'd set up 
> environment variables, though.

Actually, it's possible to simply insert the proper registry entries
using a script.  Windows allows you to put registry entries in a .reg
file and simply run it.  We did this a couple of years ago at a job I
had.  I haven't used Windows since leaving that job so I'm afraid I
don't recall the values.  

> 2) All users would need to be able to run the same (platform-dependent) 
> .pyc files.  I'm not sure how much of a limitation this will actually be 
> -- it might be that all Windows users are okay, or it might be that all 
> users must be running the exact same version of Windows on similar hardware.

We had Windows NT 4.0 on all PC's but I doubt it matters much.  The
biggest problem was generation of .pyc files.  This has to be done by
hand by someone with proper permissions on the server.  There was some
discussion about adding support for specifying where .pyc files go, but
I don't know if it made it in for 2.3.

> 3) You'd be subject to notable lag times and delays.  Depending on the 
> usage, the half-second delay in accessing a mapped network drive may 
> cause significant problems.

We didn't notice any slowdown.  But we had fairly expensive network
equipment and fast servers.

> On the other hand, it would definitely be possible to install Python on 
> every machine, and set the import path to look for modules/applications 
> that are located on a central network share.

The main problem with this is keeping the PC's up-to-date (if there are
very many of them).  Especially since things like migrating to a new
version of Python require reinstalling third party modules.

Regards,

-- 
Cliff Wells, Software Engineer
Logiplex Corporation (www.logiplex.net)
(503) 978-6726  (800) 735-0555