Master Python Package Management: distutils, setuptools, pip & More

Python Package Management Tools

Python offers a variety of package management tools, and understanding their relationships helps developers choose the appropriate one.

distutils

distutils is part of the Python standard library and provides a simple way to package and install modules via setup.py.

from distutils.core import setup
setup(
    name='fooBar',
    version='1.0',
    author='Will',
    author_email='[email protected]',
    url='http://www.cnblogs.com/wilber2013/',
    py_modules=['foo', 'bar'],
)

Running python setup.py sdist creates a fooBar-1.0.zip package, which can be installed with python setup.py install.

After installation, the modules foo and bar become available.

setuptools and distribute

setuptools extends distutils with dependency management and supports the .egg format.

distribute was a fork of setuptools that has since merged back, so they are effectively the same.

easy_install

After installing setuptools/distribute, easy_install can be used to install packages directly from PyPI, local archives, or .egg files.

pip

pip

is now the most popular Python package manager, serving as a replacement for easy_install while still relying on setuptools for many functions.

pip resolves several shortcomings of easy_install, such as non‑atomic installations, lack of uninstall command, and limited version control.

Installing pip

Two common methods:

Download get-pip.py and run python get-pip.py (it also installs setuptools if missing).

Download the pip source and install via setup.py.

Common pip commands

pip install SomePackage

– install a package from PyPI. pip uninstall SomePackage – uninstall a package. pip list – list installed packages. pip list --outdated – show packages with newer versions. pip install --upgrade SomePackage – upgrade a package. pip show --files SomePackage – display files installed by a package. pip install SomePackage==1.0.4 – install a specific version. pip freeze > requirements.txt – export installed packages to a requirements file. pip install -r requirements.txt – install packages from a requirements file.

Conclusion

The article outlines the relationships among Python's package management tools—distutils, setuptools, distribute, easy_install, and pip—helping readers understand their purposes and choose the appropriate tool for their workflow.