On 3/19/21 5:26 PM, Yannick Le Pennec wrote: > On Fri, 2021-03-19 at 15:36 +0100, Matthias Klose wrote: >> with: apt install python3-pyodbc >> >> it doesn't break before and after the upgrade. >> >> Mixing dpkg and pip installed packages is error-prone. You should avoid that. > > I'm not using python dpkg packages at all (unless you mean python3/python3- > pip?), purely pip. If you are suggesting using python3-X instead of pip X, as > with pyodbc, this is not feasible in general because not everything that is on > pip is available on dpkg, some pip usage is inevitable, and perhaps even > preferred. For example (among many others) julia or blpapi (Bloomberg's API > library) are only accessible this way. > > Moreover, regular users naturally cannot use apt and hence install everything > through pip in their .local repository. Upgrading python therefore breaks > essentially everyone. > > I understand the argument that having a python alternative could break > python3- > X,
not *could*, *is* breaking. > but having the possibility of picking a different python alternative is > precisely what solves the breakage of pip packages, in the absence of > python3-X, > and with minimal interference for everyone involved. It's just trading an > actual > breakage I have for a potential one that I don't have, isn't it? Debian only ships one python3.X version. If you need another version, please build/install it yourself.
