[Tutor] Find a good linux distribution with python.

[Alan Gauld]

"Michael Bernhard Arp Sørensen" <michael at arpsorensen.dk> wrote

> I'm on an eternal quest to find the perfect linux distro

Don't wste your time. The distro doesn't make much difference beyond:

- The basic file system structure and if it sticks to (one of) the standard
then thats not a big issue

- The package manager - you may prefer apt-get or yast or rpm or whatever

- the installer, but you only use it once (sort of!)


I've used Slackware, Redhat, Mandrake/Mandiva, Suse, Debian(briefly!)
and a couple of lesser known ones. Once they were up and trunning I
didn't find much difference with any of them!

> Therefore there's a lot of python stuff in the repository.

The beauty of Python is that because it is platform independant
it is also distro independant. Thus if you dowenloasd a python
package and install it it will work regardless of distro.

> Another point: There's so many modules on the Internet, that it's 
> difficult
> to get some sort of overview.

Most folks get by with the standard libraryb and a small number of
specialist modules to meet their specific needs. If you need a new
one install it, but loading lots of stuff just because its there is just a
waste of disk space IMHO.

> create my own python repo to set up a good working environment for
> development. That way I could use any distro.

By defaulyt Python keeps all its installed packages in the Python
directory structure so, effectively, you do build up your own repo. But
don't do it in advance just add to it as you need to.

> On the other hand, any code I might write would be difficult
> for others to use.

If you stick to the a standard Python package tools it should be fine.
Not just on Linux but on any other OS too.


-- 
Alan Gauld
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.alan-g.me.uk/