[Checkins] SVN: zc.buildout/branches/gary-support-system-python/ Make a branch to support system Pythons better.

[Gary Poster]

Log message for revision 101292:
  Make a branch to support system Pythons better.
  
  Rationale:
  
  Some development shops using zc.buildout want to be able to take advantage of
  OS-provided security updates when possible.  Being able to use the system
  Python without installed site-packages is a basic goal.
  
  Relying on the operating system for certain Python packages can also help with
  keeping up-to-date with security releases.  Moreover, for some Python packages
  this can make installation easier.  lxml/libxml2, for instance, is still
  painful to install strictly within buildout.
  
  We want to allow a usage of a system Python in buildout.  We also want to make
  it possible to use certain packages from the system Python's site-packages.
  
  This is risky.  One of buildout's advantages is repeatability. (That is, as
  defined by Jim in his tutorial, "[i]t should be possible to check-in a buildout
  specification and reproduce the same software later by checking out the
  specification and rebuilding.")  The more you rely on the system software, the
  less buildout can have enough control for a repeatable build.
  
  We will divide our goals into two scenarios.
  
  The first scenario is to use a system Python without its site-packages.
  
  The second scenario is to use a system Python with some of its site-packages.
  
  The second scenario may be too difficult; the current plan is that this will
  be scaled back to use a system Python with *all* of its site-packages.
  
  

Changed:
  A   zc.buildout/branches/gary-support-system-python/

-=-