Does python have a package/module management system?

Question

Similar to how Ruby has rubygems where you can do gem install packagename?

On http://docs.python.org/install/index.html, i only see references to python setup.py install but that requires you to find the package first.

Answer 1

That'd be easy_install.

Answer 2

It's called setuptools. You run it with the "easy_install" command.

You can find the directory at http://pypi.python.org/

Answer 3

And just to provide a contrast, there's also pip.

Answer 4

There are at least two, there is easy_install and it's successor pip

Answer 5

As a Ruby and Perl developer and learning-Python guy, I haven't found easy_install or pip to be the equivalent to rubygems or cpan.

I tend to keep my development systems running the latest versions of modules as the developers update them, and freeze my production systems at set versions. Both rubygems and cpan make it easy to find modules by listing what's available, then install and later update them individually or in bulk if desired.

easy_install and pip make it easy to install a module ONCE I located it via a browser search or learned about it by some other means, but they won't tell me what is available. I can explicitly name the module to be updated, but the apps won't tell me what has been updated nor will they update everything in bulk if I want.

So, the basic functionality is there in pip and easy_install but there are features missing that I'd like to see that would make them friendlier and easier to use and on par with cpan and rubygems.

Answer 6

No, there is no package management system for Python.

easy_install can install and upgrade individual packages, pip can do that and uninstall packages, but neither can tell you what is currently installed, upgrade packages in bulk, check for updates or tell you what files belong to a package.