homepage

> Let me rephrase my example with real paths.
Okay, now I see what you're getting at.
> Python creates /usr/lib/python3.3/site-packages. (I’ll call this $stdlib.)
> 
> pysetup3.3 install paste.script creates $stdlib/paste/script/ and files 
> therein. The paste and paste/script directories are recorded.
> 
> pysetup3.3 install PasteUtil creates $stdlib/paste/util/ and files therein. 
> Only the paste/script directory is recorded.
I think you mean "Only the paste/util directory is recorded."
> The $stdlib/paste directory is created by either distribution when it is 
> installed, but if it’s recorded only by one of the distributions, then it can’t 
> be removed when the other distribution is removed last. This is the problem I’m 
> seeing.
Yes, it's a valid point. How about if you record all directories that you would create if they didn't exist, as well as those actually created? That way, you would record the paste directory under both distributions, but would only delete it when deleting the last distribution which uses it (paste/util in your example), because you're checking for emptiness (not including bytecode files and directories).