[Bf-committers] solving the issues of switching to python 2.4 on Os X for next release

[Jean-Luc Peurière]

As said at previous meeting, I've investigated the options we have, now 
that the python team want to switch to python 2.4.

So far we relied on the system framework (dynamic lib) for 10.3 
releases, while the 10.2 ones were build with a static lib coming from 
fink package system.  10.2 users cannot upgrade to python2.4 so we keep 
them as they are

Apple has not released a python system lib at 2.4 level, and even if 
they should do it at some time, we have no planned date for that, so we 
have to make choices.

So the options are :

1/ release 10.3/10.4 build with /library framework version of python2.4 
and relabel 10.2 build as static
    python2.3.

   This method means that persons using the framework build *must* 
install the package found on
    python.org or blender will crash.
    they get a full python install available anywhere, eg in a shell.

    If they dont want/cant install it, they must use the static 
python2.3 one which will run fine for base
   modules . users of this  build can use a full  python by installing 
it from fink. Past experiences proves
    that installing from fink  is not an easy task for many Osxers, so i 
dont want to go back to fink for
   10.3/10,4 build.

    this method has the big advantage of being the smallest binaries 
sizes and smallest amount of work
    for the platform-managers (that would be me and Ton ;) Installation 
of the package is very easy, and is
    future compatible (Apple upgrading its system framework wont mess 
ours). we can even provide the
    link on our own download page.

2/ alternatively i can package 2 dmgs, one including both blender and 
the python installer (7.5 Mb)

3/  release 10.3/10.4 build with full framework version of python2.4 in 
blender bundle. this would increase
    quite a lot the size (at least 7.5 MB) and means a fair amount of 
work for me.

     You cannot use the python framework anywhere else, and to add a new 
python lib you must put it in
     the blender bundle. that means that if you have say 3 versions of 
blender, each has his own python.
     Quite an overhead ! Most of the modules shipped with the full 
python are of no use for us.

4/  release 10.3/10.4 build with minimum framework version of python2.4 
in blender bundle. Here size
    overhead is ok but that means that some skilled pythoner will have 
to choose what are the modules
     that should get shipped.
     additionals modules can be installed by setting  the correct 
environ vars.  Unfortunately the method
    to do this is not easy for average user (it involves creating a dir 
which is invisible from the finder and/or
     use terminal)

I would favor 1/ or 2/ but need your feedback on this.