Re: Why do we use /usr/lib/python to install python libraries?

[Anthony Liguori <aliguori@us.ibm.com>]

Keir Fraser wrote:
>
> On 9 Jun 2006, at 03:00, Anthony Liguori wrote:
>
>> Mark Williamson wrote:
>>>> This seems exceptionally evil and is definitely a PITA.  What was the
>>>> original problem that led us to do this?  I'd like to take a stab at
>>>> correcting it so we can have a more sane installation.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I thought it involved some pain early one with supporting different 
>>> Python versions in different distros?  Maybe with the binary installer?
>>>
>>> Of course I could be talking bunk - it's been like that for a 
>>> loooooong time and my memory was better when I was younger ;-)
>>>
>>
>> Yeah, this is why I asked.  I have vague recollections of this 
>> discussion too but can't remember the exact reasons.  I'm hoping that 
>> we've gotten smarter since then and can find a better solution :-)
>
> To be able to install on a machine different from the one we built on. 
> Because our distribution method is to 'python install' into a dist/ 
> subdirectory and then basically blat that directory into / on the 
> target machine. It would probably be smarter to include python scripts 
> to be able to 'python install' out of dist/ -- it'd require us to have 
> python-devel and C compiler installed on the target box though.

Does anyone make use of the whole dist/ directory separation?  I've 
always found that to be very odd.

Regards,

Anthony Liguori

>
> Ultimately the argument was that distros should install in their usual 
> place because they *know* what python version they ship, but that 
> since we didn't we'd just install in /usr/lib/python because that 
> required least thought for maximum coverage. :-)
>
>  -- Keir
>