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<div class="section" id="distributing-python-modules-legacy-version">
<span id="distutils-index"></span><h1>Distributing Python Modules (Legacy version)<a class="headerlink" href="#distributing-python-modules-legacy-version" title="Permalink to this headline">ΒΆ</a></h1>
<table class="docutils field-list" frame="void" rules="none">
<col class="field-name" />
<col class="field-body" />
<tbody valign="top">
<tr class="field-odd field"><th class="field-name">Authors:</th><td class="field-body">Greg Ward, Anthony Baxter</td>
</tr>
<tr class="field-even field"><th class="field-name">Email:</th><td class="field-body"><a class="reference external" href="mailto:distutils-sig%40python.org">distutils-sig<span>@</span>python<span>.</span>org</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="admonition seealso">
<p class="first admonition-title">See also</p>
<dl class="last docutils">
<dt><a class="reference internal" href="../distributing/index.html#distributing-index"><span>Distributing Python Modules</span></a></dt>
<dd>The up to date module distribution documentations</dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p>This document describes the Python Distribution Utilities (“Distutils”) from
the module developer’s point of view, describing how to use the Distutils to
make Python modules and extensions easily available to a wider audience with
very little overhead for build/release/install mechanics.</p>
<div class="admonition note">
<p class="first admonition-title">Note</p>
<p class="last">This guide only covers the basic tools for building and distributing
extensions that are provided as part of this version of Python. Third party
tools offer easier to use and more secure alternatives. Refer to the <a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/current/">quick
recommendations section</a>
in the Python Packaging User Guide for more information.</p>
</div>
<div class="toctree-wrapper compound">
<ul>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html">1. An Introduction to Distutils</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html#concepts-terminology">1.1. Concepts & Terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html#a-simple-example">1.2. A Simple Example</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html#general-python-terminology">1.3. General Python terminology</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="introduction.html#distutils-specific-terminology">1.4. Distutils-specific terminology</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html">2. Writing the Setup Script</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#listing-whole-packages">2.1. Listing whole packages</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#listing-individual-modules">2.2. Listing individual modules</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#describing-extension-modules">2.3. Describing extension modules</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#relationships-between-distributions-and-packages">2.4. Relationships between Distributions and Packages</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#installing-scripts">2.5. Installing Scripts</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#installing-package-data">2.6. Installing Package Data</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#installing-additional-files">2.7. Installing Additional Files</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#additional-meta-data">2.8. Additional meta-data</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="setupscript.html#debugging-the-setup-script">2.9. Debugging the setup script</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="configfile.html">3. Writing the Setup Configuration File</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="sourcedist.html">4. Creating a Source Distribution</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="sourcedist.html#specifying-the-files-to-distribute">4.1. Specifying the files to distribute</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="sourcedist.html#manifest-related-options">4.2. Manifest-related options</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html">5. Creating Built Distributions</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#creating-rpm-packages">5.1. Creating RPM packages</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#creating-windows-installers">5.2. Creating Windows Installers</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#cross-compiling-on-windows">5.3. Cross-compiling on Windows</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="builtdist.html#vista-user-access-control-uac">5.4. Vista User Access Control (UAC)</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html">6. The Python Package Index (PyPI)</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html#pypi-overview">6.1. PyPI overview</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html#distutils-commands">6.2. Distutils commands</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="packageindex.html#pypi-package-display">6.3. PyPI package display</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html">7. Examples</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html#pure-python-distribution-by-module">7.1. Pure Python distribution (by module)</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html#pure-python-distribution-by-package">7.2. Pure Python distribution (by package)</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html#single-extension-module">7.3. Single extension module</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html#checking-a-package">7.4. Checking a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="examples.html#reading-the-metadata">7.5. Reading the metadata</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="extending.html">8. Extending Distutils</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="extending.html#integrating-new-commands">8.1. Integrating new commands</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="extending.html#adding-new-distribution-types">8.2. Adding new distribution types</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="commandref.html">9. Command Reference</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="commandref.html#installing-modules-the-install-command-family">9.1. Installing modules: the <strong class="command">install</strong> command family</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="commandref.html#creating-a-source-distribution-the-sdist-command">9.2. Creating a source distribution: the <strong class="command">sdist</strong> command</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html">10. API Reference</a><ul>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.core">10.1. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.core</span></code> — Core Distutils functionality</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.ccompiler">10.2. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.ccompiler</span></code> — CCompiler base class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.unixccompiler">10.3. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.unixccompiler</span></code> — Unix C Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.msvccompiler">10.4. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.msvccompiler</span></code> — Microsoft Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.bcppcompiler">10.5. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.bcppcompiler</span></code> — Borland Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.cygwinccompiler">10.6. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.cygwincompiler</span></code> — Cygwin Compiler</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.archive_util">10.7. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.archive_util</span></code> — Archiving utilities</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.dep_util">10.8. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.dep_util</span></code> — Dependency checking</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.dir_util">10.9. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.dir_util</span></code> — Directory tree operations</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.file_util">10.10. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.file_util</span></code> — Single file operations</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.util">10.11. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.util</span></code> — Miscellaneous other utility functions</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.dist">10.12. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.dist</span></code> — The Distribution class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.extension">10.13. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.extension</span></code> — The Extension class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.debug">10.14. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.debug</span></code> — Distutils debug mode</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.errors">10.15. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.errors</span></code> — Distutils exceptions</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.fancy_getopt">10.16. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.fancy_getopt</span></code> — Wrapper around the standard getopt module</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.filelist">10.17. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.filelist</span></code> — The FileList class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.log">10.18. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.log</span></code> — Simple PEP 282-style logging</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.spawn">10.19. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.spawn</span></code> — Spawn a sub-process</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.sysconfig">10.20. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.sysconfig</span></code> — System configuration information</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.text_file">10.21. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.text_file</span></code> — The TextFile class</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.version">10.22. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.version</span></code> — Version number classes</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.cmd">10.23. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.cmd</span></code> — Abstract base class for Distutils commands</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#creating-a-new-distutils-command">10.24. Creating a new Distutils command</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command">10.25. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command</span></code> — Individual Distutils commands</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist">10.26. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist</span></code> — Build a binary installer</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_packager">10.27. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_packager</span></code> — Abstract base class for packagers</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_dumb">10.28. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_dumb</span></code> — Build a “dumb” installer</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_msi">10.29. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_msi</span></code> — Build a Microsoft Installer binary package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_rpm">10.30. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_rpm</span></code> — Build a binary distribution as a Redhat RPM and SRPM</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.bdist_wininst">10.31. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.bdist_wininst</span></code> — Build a Windows installer</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.sdist">10.32. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.sdist</span></code> — Build a source distribution</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build">10.33. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build</span></code> — Build all files of a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build_clib">10.34. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build_clib</span></code> — Build any C libraries in a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build_ext">10.35. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build_ext</span></code> — Build any extensions in a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build_py">10.36. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build_py</span></code> — Build the .py/.pyc files of a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.build_scripts">10.37. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.build_scripts</span></code> — Build the scripts of a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.clean">10.38. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.clean</span></code> — Clean a package build area</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.config">10.39. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.config</span></code> — Perform package configuration</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install">10.40. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install</span></code> — Install a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install_data">10.41. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install_data</span></code> — Install data files from a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install_headers">10.42. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install_headers</span></code> — Install C/C++ header files from a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install_lib">10.43. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install_lib</span></code> — Install library files from a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.install_scripts">10.44. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.install_scripts</span></code> — Install script files from a package</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.register">10.45. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.register</span></code> — Register a module with the Python Package Index</a></li>
<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="apiref.html#module-distutils.command.check">10.46. <code class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">distutils.command.check</span></code> — Check the meta-data of a package</a></li>
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