Comparing Python Packaging Tools: Distutils, Distribute, Setuptools, and Distutils2

The Python packaging landscape has undergone numerous changes, leading to confusion regarding the differences between the various tools available. This article aims to clarify the complexities by providing a concise comparison of Distutils, Distribute, Setuptools, and Distutils2.

Distutils

Distutils is the initial distribution utility included in Python's standard library. It serves as the foundation for creating Python distributions but lacks many modern features. As of Python 3.10, Distutils has been deprecated and is recommended for simple Python distributions only.

Distribute

Distribute was a fork of Setuptools and shared the same namespace. If installed, Distribute would override the Setuptools package. However, Distribute was merged back into Setuptools 0.7, making it redundant. Today, the version on Pypi serves merely as a compatibility layer for Setuptools.

Setuptools

Developed to address Distutils' limitations, Setuptools introduced features such as easy_install, pkg_resources, and the ability to enhance setup.py scripts. It is a popular choice for more complex Python distributions and plays well with pip.

Distutils2

Distutils2 aimed to combine the strengths of Distutils, Setuptools, and Distribute into a standard tool for Python's standard library. However, this project was ultimately abandoned in 2012. Distutils2 is no longer actively maintained and should not be used.

Recommendation:

For those new to Python packaging, Setuptools is the recommended starting point. It remains a widely used tool with a strong community and supports advanced features. Setuptools works seamlessly with pip and virtualenv, providing a comprehensive solution for managing Python projects.