>>> Why do we always pull down our own version of python?

When thinking about the possibility of using system python, the
situation is very different on each of our supported platforms.

On Linux applications are typically bundled as minimal packages that
depend on other packages. I believe we are also very close to being able
to do this with Chandler on Ubuntu. However, if we move to python 2.5
that would mean this would not be possible on Ubuntu Dapper Drake, our
currently supported version.

Mac also ships with python, and openssl and maybe some other components
we use. The problem is that they are often older than we require, and
another problem is that we don't exactly know with which options they
were compiled which can cause problems.

Then there is Windows which typically doesn't have any of the components
we need. To make matters worse, even if there was python installed on
the system it might be the official python or ActiveState python, and I
doubt our binary extensions would work with ActiveState python. On
Windows we also face the problem that if there is a system python, our
binary extensions must be compiled with exactly the same compiler or
they won't work. Currently we use the same compiler as the official
python, but that hasn't always been the case and may not be the case
going forward.


So, going forward, it seems we might some day be able to use mostly
system components on Linux, and if Apple catches up we might do so on
Macs as well. It is probably never going to happen on Windows, though.

-- 
  Heikki Toivonen


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