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<div class="section" id="distributing-python-modules">
<span id="distutils-index"></span><h1>Distributing Python Modules<a class="headerlink" href="#distributing-python-modules" title="Permalink to this headline">ΒΆ</a></h1>
<table class="docutils field-list" frame="void" rules="none">
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<tr class="field-odd field"><th class="field-name">Authors:</th><td class="field-body">Greg Ward, Anthony Baxter</td>
</tr>
<tr class="field-even field"><th class="field-name">Email:</th><td class="field-body"><a class="reference external" href="mailto:distutils-sig%40python.org">distutils-sig<span>@</span>python<span>.</span>org</a></td>
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<p>This document describes the Python Distribution Utilities (“Distutils”) from
the module developer’s point of view, describing how to use the Distutils to
make Python modules and extensions easily available to a wider audience with
very little overhead for build/release/install mechanics.</p>
<div class="toctree-wrapper compound">
<ul>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html">1. An Introduction to Distutils</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html#concepts-terminology">1.1. Concepts & Terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html#a-simple-example">1.2. A Simple Example</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html#general-python-terminology">1.3. General Python terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html#distutils-specific-terminology">1.4. Distutils-specific terminology</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html">2. Writing the Setup Script</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#listing-whole-packages">2.1. Listing whole packages</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#listing-individual-modules">2.2. Listing individual modules</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#describing-extension-modules">2.3. Describing extension modules</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#relationships-between-distributions-and-packages">2.4. Relationships between Distributions and Packages</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#installing-scripts">2.5. Installing Scripts</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#installing-package-data">2.6. Installing Package Data</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#installing-additional-files">2.7. Installing Additional Files</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#additional-meta-data">2.8. Additional meta-data</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#debugging-the-setup-script">2.9. Debugging the setup script</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="configfile.html">3. Writing the Setup Configuration File</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="sourcedist.html">4. Creating a Source Distribution</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="sourcedist.html#specifying-the-files-to-distribute">4.1. Specifying the files to distribute</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="sourcedist.html#manifest-related-options">4.2. Manifest-related options</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="sourcedist.html#the-manifest-in-template">4.3. The MANIFEST.in template</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html">5. Creating Built Distributions</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#creating-dumb-built-distributions">5.1. Creating dumb built distributions</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#creating-rpm-packages">5.2. Creating RPM packages</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#creating-windows-installers">5.3. Creating Windows Installers</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#cross-compiling-on-windows">5.4. Cross-compiling on Windows</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#vista-user-access-control-uac">5.5. Vista User Access Control (UAC)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html">6. The Python Package Index (PyPI)</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html#registering-packages">6.1. Registering Packages</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html#uploading-packages">6.2. Uploading Packages</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html#the-pypirc-file">6.3. The .pypirc file</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html#pypi-package-display">6.4. PyPI package display</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html">7. Examples</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html#pure-python-distribution-by-module">7.1. Pure Python distribution (by module)</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html#pure-python-distribution-by-package">7.2. Pure Python distribution (by package)</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html#single-extension-module">7.3. Single extension module</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="extending.html">8. Extending Distutils</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="extending.html#integrating-new-commands">8.1. Integrating new commands</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="extending.html#adding-new-distribution-types">8.2. Adding new distribution types</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="commandref.html">9. Command Reference</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="commandref.html#installing-modules-the-install-command-family">9.1. Installing modules: the <strong class="command">install</strong> command family</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html">10. API Reference</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.core">10.1. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.core</span></tt> — Core Distutils functionality</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.ccompiler">10.2. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.ccompiler</span></tt> — CCompiler base class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.unixccompiler">10.3. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.unixccompiler</span></tt> — Unix C Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.msvccompiler">10.4. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.msvccompiler</span></tt> — Microsoft Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.bcppcompiler">10.5. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.bcppcompiler</span></tt> — Borland Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.cygwinccompiler">10.6. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.cygwincompiler</span></tt> — Cygwin Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.emxccompiler">10.7. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.emxccompiler</span></tt> — OS/2 EMX Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.archive_util">10.8. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.archive_util</span></tt> — Archiving utilities</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.dep_util">10.9. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.dep_util</span></tt> — Dependency checking</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.dir_util">10.10. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.dir_util</span></tt> — Directory tree operations</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.file_util">10.11. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.file_util</span></tt> — Single file operations</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.util">10.12. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.util</span></tt> — Miscellaneous other utility functions</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.dist">10.13. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.dist</span></tt> — The Distribution class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.extension">10.14. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.extension</span></tt> — The Extension class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.debug">10.15. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.debug</span></tt> — Distutils debug mode</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.errors">10.16. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.errors</span></tt> — Distutils exceptions</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.fancy_getopt">10.17. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.fancy_getopt</span></tt> — Wrapper around the standard getopt module</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.filelist">10.18. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.filelist</span></tt> — The FileList class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.log">10.19. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.log</span></tt> — Simple PEP 282-style logging</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.spawn">10.20. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.spawn</span></tt> — Spawn a sub-process</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.sysconfig">10.21. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.sysconfig</span></tt> — System configuration information</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.text_file">10.22. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.text_file</span></tt> — The TextFile class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.version">10.23. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.version</span></tt> — Version number classes</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.cmd">10.24. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.cmd</span></tt> — Abstract base class for Distutils commands</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#creating-a-new-distutils-command">10.25. Creating a new Distutils command</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command">10.26. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command</span></tt> — Individual Distutils commands</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist">10.27. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist</span></tt> — Build a binary installer</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_packager">10.28. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_packager</span></tt> — Abstract base class for packagers</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_dumb">10.29. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_dumb</span></tt> — Build a “dumb” installer</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_msi">10.30. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_msi</span></tt> — Build a Microsoft Installer binary package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_rpm">10.31. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_rpm</span></tt> — Build a binary distribution as a Redhat RPM and SRPM</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_wininst">10.32. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_wininst</span></tt> — Build a Windows installer</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.sdist">10.33. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.sdist</span></tt> — Build a source distribution</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build">10.34. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build</span></tt> — Build all files of a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build_clib">10.35. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build_clib</span></tt> — Build any C libraries in a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build_ext">10.36. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build_ext</span></tt> — Build any extensions in a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build_py">10.37. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build_py</span></tt> — Build the .py/.pyc files of a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build_scripts">10.38. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build_scripts</span></tt> — Build the scripts of a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.clean">10.39. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.clean</span></tt> — Clean a package build area</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.config">10.40. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.config</span></tt> — Perform package configuration</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install">10.41. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install</span></tt> — Install a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install_data">10.42. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install_data</span></tt> — Install data files from a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install_headers">10.43. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install_headers</span></tt> — Install C/C++ header files from a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install_lib">10.44. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install_lib</span></tt> — Install library files from a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install_scripts">10.45. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install_scripts</span></tt> — Install script files from a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.register">10.46. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.register</span></tt> — Register a module with the Python Package Index</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.check">10.47. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.check</span></tt> — Check the meta-data of a package</a></li>
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