Switching python-setuptools to distribute

[GEORGIOS GIANNAKIS]

2009/10/13, Mat Booth <fedora at matbooth.co.uk>:
> 2009/10/12 Toshio Kuratomi <a.badger at gmail.com>:
>> I've been a comaintainer of the python-setuptools package for a long time
>> and recently became the owner when icon relinquished it.  It is currently
>> a
>> tumultuous time for distributing python modules with a new and active
>> maintainer for distutils inside of the python stdlib and a fork of
>> setuptools being worked on.
>>
>> That fork is named distribute and there are two branches of development on
>> it.  The 0.7 branch aims to implement API, metadata, and other features
>> that
>> will make packaging python modules for upstream building and distribution
>> easier while being more concerned with the effects this has on
>> Linux packagers.  The 0.6 branch intends to be compatible with the current
>> seutptools package but to fix bugs and introduce features that are
>> backwards
>> compatible and oft requested.  This branch is being actively maintained by
>> a
>> core group of five committers including the new distutils maintainer.  By
>> contrast, setuptools is maintained by a single maintainer who often has
>> little time to work on it.
>>
>> When installed, the 0.6 branch takes over the setuptools and pkg_resources
>> python modules.  The reasoning is that distribute-0.6 provides the same
>> API
>> as setuptools and is meant to replace it.  If the module was installed
>> differently, consuming code (all the setup.py modules in any setuptools
>> using package as well as code that relies on setuptools features at
>> runtime)
>> would all need to change their import statements to use the new names
>> explicitly.  This choice is being made upstream by the distribute project.
>>
>> Upstream, the python community has viewed the fork favorably but since
>> it's
>> not part of python proper, the only one with say in the matter is the
>> setuptools author.  He has not been willing to abandon the setuptools
>> module
>> but at the same time hasn't gained any more free time to work on
>> setuptools.
>>
>> Several other Linux distributions (gentoo and arch) have started shipping
>> distribute-0.6 as the source of their setuptools package.  I am thinking
>> of
>> doing the same for rawhide and pushing the change to older Fedora releases
>> if bugs are reported that are fixed in distribute but not in seutptools as
>> having a responsive upstream that cares about distribution packaging
>> issues
>> is a great plus for us.  I raised this plan on fedora-python-devel and
>> received one positive comment and no negative feedback so I'm just
>> mentioning it here so a broader audience can ask any questions or raise
>> any
>> issues before putting this into effect.
>>
>> -Toshio
>>
>
> I was unaware of all this. Is there a reason why the setuptools author
> will not grant commit rights to others? Going solely on your email it
> seems like a fork would be unnecessary if he was willing to share the
> workload...
>
>
> --
> Mat Booth
>
> A: Because it destroys the order of the conversation.
> Q: Why shouldn't you do it?
> A: Posting your reply above the original message.
> Q: What is top-posting?
>
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