Re: RFC: python-base, debconf and py/pyc files

[D-Man <dsh8290@rit.edu>]

I think this sounds good.  Then users who don't want to use the extra
disk space don't have to.  

There is another tradeoff though.  I compared the size of several .py
and the corresponding .pyc files from the standard library and noticed
that the .pyc file is a little bit larger.  If the user likes disk
space more than speed they might want to have only .py files on the
system and let the interpreter recompile the source everytime it is
used.

-D

On Fri, Mar 23, 2001 at 09:39:07PM +0100, Gregor Hoffleit wrote:
| Hi,
| 
| currently, our Python packages mostly ship .py files and compile them into
| .pyc files at run time in order to save space in the debs.
| 
| There's no reason, though, to keep the .py files on machines that only
| deploy software[1]
| 
| I wonder if I should debconf-ify python-base and add an debconf option that
| sets a system-wide policy about how to deal with .py/.pyc files. That could
| be one of:
| 
|   * install both .py and .pyc files
|   * install only .pyc files
|   * install only .py files
| 
| The postinst scripts of the various python packages would then enforce this
| policy according to the global debconf option. Packages could also provide
| private debconf options to override this.
| 
| Any comments ?
| 
|     Gregor