Comparison of sys.path on Python 2.3 and 2.5 framework builds

From Python 2.3.5, installed by default in Mac OS X Tiger:


>>> import sys
>>> print(sys.path)
['', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python23.zip', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/plat-darwin', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/plat-mac', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/plat-mac/lib-scriptpackages', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/lib-tk', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/lib-dynload', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/site-packages', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/Extras/lib/python']
>>> for z in sys.path:
... if '2.3' not in z:
... print(z)
...
>>>


From Python 2.5, built as a framework and available for download:


>>> import sys
>>> print(sys.path)
['', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python25.zip', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/plat-darwin', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/plat-mac', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/plat-mac/lib-scriptpackages', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/lib-tk', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/lib-dynload', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/site-packages']
>>> for z in sys.path:
... if '2.5' not in z:
... print(z)
...
>>>


This simply means there are no directories in common in sys.path — the list of directories where modules can be installed — between these two versions of Python. I find that a bit annoying, since I can’t by default count on deploying one module to a single location that will work in both the default and upgraded versions of Python.

That lack of a default common location also has an impact if you’re managing the filesystem with Radmind.