How to move my python scripts to the right path when installing setup.py?

Question

I have been reusing several python projects and when I execute python setup.py install all the code gets copied into /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages. Now I am trying to create my own Python project and this is my setup.py

from setuptools import setup, find_packages

setup(
    name = "My project",
    version = "0.1",
    license = "BSD",
    packages=find_packages(),

)

However, that copies all my scripts into a /build directory which gets created in the directory where the setup.py is. How can I change that behaviour and so that the scripts move to /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages instead?

Suggested reading: packaging.python.org/distributing

jwodder
– jwodder

2017-02-23 13:44:00 +00:00
Commented Feb 23, 2017 at 13:44 — jwodder
– jwodder, Commented Feb 23, 2017 at 13:44

Meghdeep Ray · Accepted Answer · 2017-02-23 13:47:54Z

1

You have to build the package first and that package ends up in /dist. Once you have the package file you have to install it with pip install. It will then be transferred to /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages.

The purpose of creating packages is for distributing your code, so it assumes that you won't just be using it yourself and builds a package that can then be installed.

You won't be allowed to directly write to /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages unless you use sudo because it is a system directory.

Also direct installation is not recommended because you might get something wrong and have to uninstall. It is always a safer and better practice to build the package and test it in a virtual environment before you actually install it.

edited Feb 23, 2017 at 13:47

answered Feb 23, 2017 at 13:40

Meghdeep Ray

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