[arch-general] Where to install python apps: /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/xyz??

[fons at kokkinizita.net]

On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 10:06:59PM +0100, Øyvind Heggstad wrote:
> On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:27:25 -0600
> "David C. Rankin" <drankinatty at suddenlinkmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > Guy,
> > 
> > 	I know nothing about python other than what it is. I need to
> > install repoview-0.6.5 on my arch server, but I'm not sure where.
> > Looking at the other python apps like cairo, FusionIcon, etc.. thay
> > seem to be installed as a subdirectory to:
> > 
> > /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/
> > 
> > 	The repoview directory contains:
> > 
> > drwxr-xr-x  3 david david  4096 Feb 19 13:31 templates
> > -rw-r--r--  1 david david  3457 Feb 19 13:31 ChangeLog
> > -rw-r--r--  1 david david 18009 Mar  3  2005 COPYING
> > -rw-r--r--  1 david david   708 Jul 19  2007 README
> > -rw-r--r--  1 david david  2634 Sep 27  2007 repoview.8
> > -rwxr-xr-x  1 david david 32932 Feb 19 13:31 repoview.py
> > 
> > 	Do I just move the directory
> > to /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/?  Then is there something else I
> > need to do to "register" (for lack of better words) repoview
> > somewhere so python knows it is there? Then what about the man page?
> > Anything special required to do I just move it to /usr/share/man
> > or /usr/local/man?
> > 
> You should use makepkg for it unless you are doing it in virtualenv.
> 
> There already is a PKGBUILD for repoview in aur.
> http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=35377

The directory /usr/lib/pythonX.Y/site-packages is where
you install Python *modules*, which are extensions to
the Python library to be used by Python programs. The
normal way to install them there is using the Python
distutils and a 'setup.py' script.

Python *applications* must *not* be installed there.
They should go in /usr/bin just as any other executable,
and preferably not have the .py extension. The fact that
they are Python programs is irrelevant to the user.

If a package provides both a Python application and some
modules required to run it then each part must be installed
in the appropriate place. 

Ciao,

-- 
FA

O tu, che porte, correndo si ?
E guerra e morte !