[gentoo-dev] packages using DistUtils

[Jon Nelson <jnelson@jamponi.net>]

I'll try to say this without offending anybody.
Any package that uses DistUtils (ie, you have build or install lines that
use 'setup.py'), *please* understand that the following is *incorrect*:

python setup.py --prefix=${D}/usr build || die
(or install)

That sets the *prefix* to ${D}/usr, which for most things isn't an issue,
but the *prefix* is embedded in some apps.

The *correct* way to build or install is to use the following form:

src_compile() {
	python setup.py --prefix=/usr build || die
}

src_install() {
	python setup.py --root=${D} --prefix=/usr install || die
	# etc...
}

The reason why has to do with the same reasons why doing a ./configure
with a --prefix of ${D}/usr is a *bad* idea -- it is *not* the prefix (the
prefix is /usr).

Additionally, even though DistUtils is nice enough to build during install
if
not already built, it's generally good practice to have a separate build
in
src_compile, but that is less critical than the --prefix issue.

Thanks!

-- 
Pound for pound, the amoeba is the most vicious animal on earth.

Jon Nelson <jnelson@jamponi.net>
C and Python Code Gardener