Use setuptools to install Python package

[brunodoamaral]

I think the lib should have a setup.py install script, so one can easily install it with python setup.py install. What do you think?

I created a first version in this branch: https://github.com/brunodoamaral/faiss/tree/setup-py

The only problem is that I build the .so file using make, instead of creating an Extension on setup.py (I tried it before, but couldn't get makefile.inc parameters to work inside setuptools).

[mdouze]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I don't think the setup.py simplifies the compilation process, since BLAS and swig are the hardest flags to set, not the Python flags.

[brunodoamaral]

Hi @mdouze. The idea behind using setuptools is to provide means to install faiss as a module on a Python environment. In the current implementation, one has to copy the lib files inside its project.

I think setuptools is an important step to distribute faiss (the next one should pip instal faiss). But if you think it is not necessary, I'll abandon the idea.

PS: I already deployed faiss in my current project and it searches a 670K x 128 database in less then 1.2ms, using a 4 CPU machine. Pretty neat for my needs.

[anxingle]

@brunodoamaral Good work!