* '''Launchpad Entry''': UbuntuSpec:appselection-foundations-n-robust-python-packaging
 * '''Created''': BarryWarsaw
 * '''Contributors''': 
 * '''Packages affected''':


= Robust Python Packaging =

Topics:
 * cx freeze
 * symlinks
 * packaging


== cx freeze ==
 * freezing critical tools that would break on upgrade
 * bigger rollback problem w/upgrades; solve that and it takes this one with it?
 * critical python apps to freeze?
  * release upgrader - how big will it be frozen?
  
== symlinks ==
 * wanted to get rid of symlink craziness
 * last cycle worked on implementation for multiple version of Python to exist (will be in Python 3.2)
 * ship 2.6 and 2.7? then backport PEP from 3.2
 * can we get some testing done that would, e.g., show us that there are too many issues with 2.7 (and thus not worry about it) 
 * backport effort: implementation should be fairly straight-forward, however tests and documentation will be non-trivial; would be off by default, enabled by a switch.  lookup uses the 3.2 rules (__pycache__ first).
 * need to test universe
 * ACTION: mvo - add a auto upgrade test profile that installs all/most of the python (including universe) and tries to upgrade it and import all modules from 2.6, 2.7 (or whatever is available in maverick)
 * can't get rid of symlinks until extensions issue is addressed?
  * not touch symlinks at package installation time, but okay to ship them with a binary package

== packaging ==
 * XXX
 
 
== Python 3 ==
 * keep python 2 and 3 stacks separate
 * get infrastructure into squeeze but modify packages in sq+1
 * okay to run 2to3 at build time only
 * keep source packages shared b/w 2 and 3 as long as we can, but split them if upstream stops shipping py2 versions


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CategorySpec