Installing Packages from the Package Index (Start Here)
To install packages from the [http://pypi.python.org/pypi Package Index (PyPI)] into your Python, you have several options:
Manual Installation
To install a package manually under UNIX, the usual method is to extract the package into your system's built-in or optional site-packages directory. For Python 2.5, this is frequently either /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/ or /usr/local/lib/python2.5/site-packages.
For Windows, please review [http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0250/ PEP 250, Using site-packages on Windows]
Easy Installation
EasyInstall (easy_install) gives you a quick and painless way to install packages remotely by connecting to the Package Index or even other websites via HTTP. It is somewhat analogous to the CPAN and PEAR tools for Perl and PHP, respectively.
Please see [http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/EasyInstall EasyInstall] for more information on EasyInstall.
What the Package Index Stores
The Python Package Index stores [http://docs.python.org/dist/meta-data.html information about packages of Python software]. Each package has a name and a number of release versions. The list of release versions will increase as newer versions of the package are submitted to the Package Index.
Submitting Packages to the Package Index
There are two types of information that may be submitted to the Package Index:
- package meta-data (name, version, description, etc), and
- package source and binary distribution files.
Package Meta-Data
You may submit package meta-data either by:
writing a [http://docs.python.org/dist/setup-script.html setup.py file] and using "python setup.py register" (see [http://docs.python.org/dist/package-index.html docs]),
- creating a PKG-INFO file (typically generated from a setup.py file) and uploading it, or
using the [http://pypi.python.org/pypi?%3Aaction=submit_form web form] and manually entering the information.
The Package Index assumes that the PKG-INFO file is either ASCII or UTF-8.
Selecting Classifiers
View the complete [http://pypi.python.org/pypi?%3Aaction=list_classifiers list of classifiers] you may choose from.
See the [http://docs.python.org/dist/meta-data.html meta-data docs] for details about how to include them in your setup.py file.
PyPI will attempt to parse the "long_description" from your meta-data as ReStructuredText. If this fails, it will be presented to users as plain text (all whitespace and formatting retained).
Missing Classifier?
Is a classifier you need missing from the [http://pypi.python.org/pypi?%3Aaction=list_classifiers classifiers list]?
Python frameworks with plugins or packages that target the framework can get their own category. The category should only be added after such packages exist.
Complimentary packages can link to each other from their descriptions, they do not need a category to link them together; only when packages are provided by different people does a category need to be created.
To ask for a category email catalog-sig@python.org.
Package Distribution Files
Note that submitting a package distribution file automatically submits the package's meta-data. You may submit package distribution files either by:
appending the "upload" command to a setup.py [http://docs.python.org/dist/source-dist.html source dist] or [http://docs.python.org/dist/built-dist.html built dist] command, eg "python setup.py sdist upload", or
- logging into the Package Index and using the package management interface to manually upload files.
The "upload" command has a number of options, including being able to sign the upload using GPG. See "python setup.py upload --help" for more information.
Exposing Multiple Releases
When a new release of a package is submitted to the Package Index, all previous releases of that package are hidden from the display. This means that listings and searches will no longer find those releases.
You may use the package admin interface to uh-hide releases. This may be useful if you have both a stable and a development release active at the same time. These will be hidden again on the next submission of meta-data.
Cheesecake scores
Cheesecake is a project that tries to help Python developers via testing and scoring their packages based on some empirical factors, like, for example, whether a package can be installed using standard "python setup.py install" interface. To learn more about it, visit its [http://pycheesecake.org/ homepage].
Starting from August 10th 2006 all packages that were updated/released on PyPI are automatically scored. You can browse full list of scored packages on [http://pypi.pycheesecake.org/pypi/ Cheesecake server]. It's still in alpha state, so let us know of any bugs or inconveniences you stumble upon. Cheesecake scores will also be incorporated into PyPI itself in a way that will allow package owners to browse scores on their administration pages.