[Python-projects] pylint easy_install-ability

[Nicolas Chauvat]

On Wed, May 24, 2006 at 08:34:56AM +0200, Mirko Friedenhagen wrote:
> 1) One problem RPM and DEB alike do not tackle easily is how to install
> several versions of one package side by side. eggs do this for you. See
> the "main"-wrapper for "ipython071":

hmm. Debian currently has 4 versions of python...

> Using this it is really easy to install beta-versions of a software
> ...

but I understand your point. Although I consider using PYTHONPATH is
better suited to testing development versions.

> 2) Another thing which is really good about easy_install: Every user on
> a *IX-system may easily install a "private" copy of python and use
> things without pestering the sysadmin to install a package. Not everyone
> is `root` on the system (s)he uses. See
> http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/EasyInstall#custom-installation-
> locations

Right. But then again I would consider this a failure of the system
administration team and the organization that tells people to get work done
without providing them with the tools they need (which does not solve
the problem). I would also consider it a desired feature for RPM and
DEB packaging systems to be able to "locally" install software in
users' home directories. Actually we developed such a thing once, but
had to base it on gentoo's portage for neither rpm nor deb was suited
to it. Evolving them or making sure the feature is easily obtained
from a "user-only" portage would still be a better option than a
python-specific wheel-reinvention IMHO.

-- 
Nicolas Chauvat

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