[tahoe-lafs-trac-stream] [Tahoe-LAFS] #2077: pip packaging plan

[Tahoe-LAFS]

#2077: pip packaging plan
---------------------------+--------------------------------------
     Reporter:  daira      |      Owner:
         Type:  defect     |     Status:  new
     Priority:  normal     |  Milestone:  undecided
    Component:  packaging  |    Version:  1.10.0
   Resolution:             |   Keywords:  pip packaging setuptools
Launchpad Bug:             |
---------------------------+--------------------------------------

Comment (by dstufft):

 @zooko

 So my argument here is that telling end users to install Python and then
 execute `setup.py build` is still too many steps for an end user. With
 PyInstaller you could add a patch like this for your quickstart:


 {{{
 diff -u a/quickstart.rst b/quickstart.rst
 --- a/quickstart.rst    2015-05-06 17:03:17.000000000 -0400
 +++ b/quickstart.rst    2015-05-06 17:04:38.000000000 -0400
 @@ -17,29 +17,6 @@
  This procedure has been verified to work on Windows, Mac, OpenSolaris,
 and
  too many flavors of Linux and of BSD to list.

 -In Case Of Trouble
 -------------------
 -
 -There are a few 3rd party libraries that Tahoe-LAFS depends on that might
 not
 -be easy to set up on your platform. If the following instructions don't
 Just
 -Work without any further effort on your part, then please write to `the
 -tahoe-dev mailing list`_ where friendly hackers will help you out.
 -
 -.. _the tahoe-dev mailing list: https://tahoe-lafs.org/cgi-
 bin/mailman/listinfo/tahoe-dev
 -
 -Install Python
 ---------------
 -
 -Check if you already have an adequate version of Python installed by
 running
 -``python -V``. Python v2.6 (v2.6.6 or greater recommended) or Python v2.7
 -will work. Python v3 does not work. On Windows, we recommend the use of
 -native Python v2.7, not Cygwin Python. If you don't have one of these
 -versions of Python installed, `download`_ and install the latest version
 of
 -Python v2.7. Make sure that the path to the installation directory has no
 -spaces in it (e.g. on Windows, do not install Python in the "Program
 Files"
 -directory).
 -
 -.. _download: https://www.python.org/downloads/

  Get Tahoe-LAFS
  --------------
 @@ -51,22 +28,8 @@
  Set Up Tahoe-LAFS
  -----------------

 -Unpack the zip file and cd into the top-level directory.
 -
 -Run "``python setup.py build``" to generate the ``tahoe`` executable in a
 -subdirectory of the current directory named ``bin``. This will download
 and
 -build anything you need from various websites.
 -
 -On Windows, the ``build`` step might tell you to open a new Command
 Prompt
 -(or, on XP and earlier, to log out and back in again). This is needed the
 -first time you set up Tahoe-LAFS on a particular installation of Windows.
 -
 -Run "``bin/tahoe --version``" (on Windows, "``bin\tahoe --version``") to
 -verify that the executable tool prints out the right version number after
 -"``allmydata-tahoe:``".
 +Unpack the zip file.

 -Optionally run "``python setup.py trial``" to verify that it passes all
 of
 -its self-tests.

  Run Tahoe-LAFS
  --------------

 }}}

 That is, it's entirely possible to generate a single file, that when
 executed runs tahoe. That single file will contain Python, the standard
 library, all your dependencies, and tahoe itself. Think static linking but
 for Python.

 There are a few possible downsides to this:

 * The single file version of this depends on having /tmp/ mounted without
 noexec options, if someone has /tmp/ mounted with noexec it will fail.
   * This can be fixed by using a directory layout instead of a single
 file, this isn't as user friendly because they have a bunch of files they
 have to copy around, but it fixes the noexec problem with /tmp/.
 * You might need to adjust code a little bit to handle being ran from
 within a zip file.
 * It's essentially static linking, so you'll be responsible for making
 sure that you re-roll the executable if a new Python or library comes out
 which has a security vulnerability.

 This would mean that end users (and your quickstart guide) never mentions
 pip and the fact you're written in Python is, for end users, just an
 implementation detail as is all your other dependencies. You can then
 focus on making pip (and the python packaging toolchain) work for
 developers and for redistributors.

--
Ticket URL: <https://tahoe-lafs.org/trac/tahoe-lafs/ticket/2077#comment:25>
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