[Python-Dev] bdist_* to stdlib?

Wed Feb 15 02:22:14 CET 2006

[Greg Ewing wrote]
> MacOSX seems to be the only system so far that has got
> this right -- organising the system so that everything
> related to a given application or library can be kept
> under a single directory, clearly labelled with a
> version number.

ActivePython and MacPython have to install stuff to:
 /usr/local/bin/...
 /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/...
 /Applications/MacPython-2.4/... # just MacPython does this
 /Library/Documentation/Help/...
 # Symlink needed here to have a hope of registration with
 # Apple's (crappy) help viewer system to work.
Also, a receipt of the installation ends up here:
 /Library/Receipts/$package_name/...
though Apple does not provide tools for uninstallation using those
receipts.
Mac OS X's installation tech ain't no panacea. If one is just
distributing a single .app, then it is okay. If one is just distributing
a library with no UI (graphical or otherwise) for the user, then it is
okay. And "okay" here still means a pretty poor installation experience
for the user: open DMG, don't run the app from here, drag it to your
Applications folder, then eject this window/disk, then run it from
/Applications, etc.
Trent
-- 
Trent Mick
TrentM at ActiveState.com