April 23, 2016

Pip and the Python Package Authority with Donald Stufft

52 minutes

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Summary

As Python developers we have all used pip to install the different libraries and projects that we need for our work, but have you ever wondered about who works on pip and how the package archive we all know and love is maintained? In this episode we interviewed Donald Stufft who is the primary maintainer of pip and the Python Package Index about how he got involved with the projects, what kind of work is involved, and what is on the roadmap. Give it a listen and then give him a big thank you for all of his hard work!

Brief Introduction

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Your hosts as usual are Tobias Macey and Chris Patti

Today we are interviewing Donald Stufft about Pip and the Python Packaging Authority

Interview with Donald Stufft

Introductions

How did you get introduced to Python? – Chris

How did you get involved with the Pip project? – Tobias

What is the Python Packaging Authority and what does it do? – Tobias

How is PyPi / the Python Packaging Authority funded? – Chris

What is your opinion on the current state of Python packaging? Are there lessons from other languages and package managers that you think should be adopted by Python? – Tobias

What was involved in getting pip into the standard Python distribution? Was there any controversy around this? – Chris

Can you describe some of the mechanics of Pip and how it differs from the other packaging systems that Python has used in the past? – Tobias

Does pip interact at all with virtualenv, pyenv and the like? – Chris

The newest package format for Python is the wheel system. Can you describe what that is and what its benefits are? – Tobias

What are the biggest challenges that you have encountered while working on Pip? – Tobias

What does the infrastructure for the Python Package Index look like? – Tobias

What have been some of the challenges around scaling Pypi’s infrastructure to meet demand? – Chris

You’re currently working on a replacement for the PyPI site with the Warehouse project. Can you explain your motivation for that and how it improves on the current system? – Tobias

Where do you see the future of dependency management in Python headed? – Chris

A few days ago there was a big story about how an NPM library was removed from the index, breaking a large number of dependent projects and applications. Do you think that anything like that could happen in the Python ecosystem? – Tobias

What’s on the roadmap for Pip? – Tobias

Keep In Touch

GitHub

DistUtils Special Interest Group

@dstufft on Twitter

Picks

Tobias

Xiki

Chris

Agar.io

Culprate

TCP/IP Illustrated Volume I: The Protocols

Donald

Linux on Windows 10

Links

Bandersnatch

Wheel

Warehouse pypa/warehouse

PyPI Sponsors56

DevPI

The intro and outro music is from Requiem for a Fish The Freak Fandango Orchestra / CC BY-SA

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By Tobias Macey

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