Add install make target

[strk]

Closes #433

[strk]

Interesting position from Debian-12:

pip install .
error: externally-managed-environment

× This environment is externally managed
╰─> To install Python packages system-wide, try apt install
    python3-xyz, where xyz is the package you are trying to
    install.
    
    If you wish to install a non-Debian-packaged Python package,
    create a virtual environment using python3 -m venv path/to/venv.
    Then use path/to/venv/bin/python and path/to/venv/bin/pip. Make
    sure you have python3-full installed.
    
    If you wish to install a non-Debian packaged Python application,
    it may be easiest to use pipx install xyz, which will manage a
    virtual environment for you. Make sure you have pipx installed.
    
    See /usr/share/doc/python3.11/README.venv for more information.

note: If you believe this is a mistake, please contact your Python installation or OS distribution provider. You can override this, at the risk of breaking your Python installation or OS, by passing --break-system-packages.
hint: See PEP 668 for the detailed specification.

[ihabunek]

The problem with pip install is that it installs the package globally and that can cause conflicts with packages installed via package manager. This is why they added externally-managed-environment seen in Debian 12. This will presumably be adopted by most distros. See https://peps.python.org/pep-0668/ You could do pip install --user but usually the best way is to create a virtual env. Python packaging is a bit of a mess.

-- Ivan

On Thu, 7 Dec 2023, at 12:26, Sandro Santilli wrote: Interesting position from Debian-12: `pip install . error: externally-managed-environment × This environment is externally managed ╰─> To install Python packages system-wide, try apt install python3-xyz, where xyz is the package you are trying to install. If you wish to install a non-Debian-packaged Python package, create a virtual environment using python3 -m venv path/to/venv. Then use path/to/venv/bin/python and path/to/venv/bin/pip. Make sure you have python3-full installed. If you wish to install a non-Debian packaged Python application, it may be easiest to use pipx install xyz, which will manage a virtual environment for you. Make sure you have pipx installed. See /usr/share/doc/python3.11/README.venv for more information. note: If you believe this is a mistake, please contact your Python installation or OS distribution provider. You can override this, at the risk of breaking your Python installation or OS, by passing --break-system-packages. hint: See PEP 668 for the detailed specification.

`

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[strk]

I've found pipx being recommended by some python developers (and even by https://peps.python.org/pep-0668/), which is like pip but deals with virtual envs.

It also allows using a system-wide virtualenv, using a pair of enviromnent variables:
pypa/pipx#754 (comment)

How would the maintainer feel about going in that direction and requiring pipx for install ?

The install target would then be something like:

PIPX_HOME=$(pipx_home) PIPX_BIN_DIR=$(bindir) pipx install .

What to make of pipx_home default I'm not sure, maybe $(sharedir)/pipx ?

[strk]

I've pushed a commit using pipx

[ihabunek]

Thanks for the pull, but I decided not to merge this one.

It makes assumptions like that the user wants to use pipx, that pipx home defaults to /opt/pipx, etc.

If you use toot from source, some python knowledge is required, and every user can choose what suits their needs.

For example, I never use pipx to install from source, i install using pip into a virtual env managed by virtualenvwrapper. But that's just my workflow.