Re: Questions regarding Python packaging

[Leo Famulari <leo@famulari.name>]

On Sun, Nov 08, 2020 at 03:27:17PM +0100, Tanguy Le Carrour wrote:
> `pep517` keeps on trying to download dependencies, which won't work.

That usually means that the software is missing some dependencies. If
you think they should be available in the build environment,
double-check that they are, and then look into how the software is
looking for them.

Also, Python software seems to change a lot, and quickly — make sure you
are using the correct version of all the dependencies.

> `build` crashes with "ZIP does not support timestamps before 1980",
> which, I guess is related to the fact that everything in the store is
> timestamped to January 1st 1970.

Are you using the python-build-system? It should handle this problem
with its 'ensure-no-mtimes-pre-1980' phase.

> Does anyone have a opinion on Python packaging and how it should be done?
> Any idea how I can circumvent the timestamps problem? Is this fish too
> big for me?!

In general, Python packaging is on the easy side but, when it gets
complicated (e.g. due to unusual design of the upstream build scripts),
it can be really complicated.

> Any help or advice welcome! Thanks!

If will help if you share your package definition.