Installation does not honor --prefix when installing data

[teythoon]

% python3 setup.py install --prefix=/tmp/gpgsync
[...]
running install_data
copying share/gpgsync.desktop -> /usr/share/applications
error: could not create '/usr/share/applications/gpgsync.desktop': Permission denied

Afaics this is because of the use of sys.prefix, but I don't know how to get the installation prefix from setuptools.

[teythoon]

Furthermore, Common.get_resource_path uses sys.prefix.

[micahflee]

Hmm, this is a good point. How is the installed application supposed to know the correct prefix then, in Common.get_resource_path, I wonder? Do you know how other software deals with this?

[clawoflight]

@teythoon have you tried using setup.py install --root instead?