[sugar] Sugar Python environment

[Marco Pesenti Gritti]

Ian Bicking wrote:
> I'm thinking that the Sugar jhbuild should probably use 
> virtual-python.py: http://peak.telecommunity.com/dist/virtual-python.py
>
> Alternately (and particularly if OLPC goes to Python 2.5), Python 
> should be built as part of the build process.  virtual-python 
> basically symlinks Python so it doesn't pick anything up from the 
> global installation.  It's like building a custom Python, but faster 
> since it doesn't actually build anything.
>

I tend to think we should build our own python. The 2.5 migration will 
happen at some point and we can't rely on distribution shipping the 
python version we want.
sugar-jhbuild can build python already. The problem is that we still 
depend on some system installed bindings. dbus and avahi that I can 
think of. Both runs a system daemon, so I'm not sure about the best way 
to deal with them.

> Then instead of relying on $PYTHONPATH to control the environment, 
> using build/bin/python will use the custom environment.  (And of 
> course, having that directory first on $PATH will make "python" work 
> as well.)
>
> Would building 100% of the OLPC software be prohibitive (either to 
> build the software, or setup the build process)?  That would then give 
> us a completely accurate system and process.
>

I guess it depends on what you mean with 100% of the software. There are 
packages that needs to be  provided by the system (the dbus system 
server for example) and packages that are probably not interesting to 
build (libjpeg for example). We need to draw a line. I think current 
jhbuild + python would a pretty good line.

Marco