Table of Contents
This section describes the various tools to help package Python programs and modules for Debian. Although none of these tools are mandatory, their use is strongly encouraged, as the above policy has been designed with them in mind (and vice versa). This appendix is just an overview. If you use these tools, you should read their full documentation.
	  The standard Python distutils module has been modified in
	  Debian to change the default installation directory of public
	  Python modules and to add a new flag to the install
	  command to override the default, --install-layout=.
	
	  Public Python modules installed with a modified distutils default
	  to
	  /usr/local/lib/python
	  for Python 2.6 and later. This directory is seen by the
	  system-provided Python 2.6.
	X.Y/dist-packages
	  When using a local Python installation, the default is
	  /usr/local/lib/python
	  which is only seen by the local Python installation.
	X.Y/site-packages
	  Using the --install-layout=deb flag to
	  the install command of setup.py with a
	  system-provided Python 2.6 or later versions, Python modules will
	  be installed to
	  /usr/lib/python
	  which is only seen by the system-provided Python, not by a local
	  installation.
	X.Y/dist-packages
          The related Python setuptools module has been modified in
          Debian along the same lines as distutils.
        
          Upstream focus on developments and improvements for Python packaging
          tools has largely shifted away from distutils and to
          setuptools.  They offer a similar API and at some point in
          the future, setuptools may fully replace distutils
          in Debian package builds.
        
	  dh-python provides extensions
	  for debhelper to make it easier to package
	  Python modules and extensions. They calculate Python dependencies,
	  add maintainer scripts to byte compile files, etc. Their use is
	  not mandatory, but they are recommended by the Debian Python
	  maintainers.
	
	  See man dh_python3 or man dh_python2 for
	  details.
	
Pybuild is a Debian Python specific build system that invokes various build systems for requested Python versions in order to build modules and extensions. It supports automatically building for multiple Python versions.
	  python-support provided another way to manage
	  Python modules. It has been removed from Debian Stretch and later
	  releases.