Installing distribute should not be hard coded to run as root.

[tachang]

Do run() instead of run_as_root() so user can decide context using
a with statement such as:

with fabtools.python.virtualenv('/home/example/python'):
fabtools.require.python.distribute()

[ronnix]

Thanks for the pull request, Jeff.

fabtools needs to install distribute globally (as root) in order to install pip. (The get-pip.py script that we use to install the latest pip version requires setuptools or distribute to be installed.)

Also, I think it's not necessary to install distribute into a virtualenv, as it is already installed as part of the virtualenv creation anyway:

$ cd /tmp
$ virtualenv venv
New python executable in venv/bin/python
Installing setuptools............done.
Installing pip...............done.
$ source venv/bin/activate
$ which easy_install
/tmp/venv/bin/easy_install

What do you think?

[tachang]

I have a case where even if it distribute globally when I do the virtual environment it says --version is not defined. This is why I wanted to run it as non root.

[ronnix]

Can you share a small fabfile that reproduces this problem?

[tachang]

I am not sure why easy_install --version is not defined. This is why detecting if distribute is installed or not fails.

[ronnix]

I can reproduce this too. Something is wrong. Investigating...

[tachang]

This is my first time using fab/fabtools so maybe I am doing something wrong?

[ronnix]

Older versions of distribute don't have the --version flag, so fabtools should not be using that. What is the exact operating system / distro on your remote host?

[tachang]

Linux apricot 3.2.0-23-virtual #36-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 10 22:29:03 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

root@apricot:~# lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
Release: 12.04
Codename: precise

[ronnix]

Thanks! Can you paste a small example of what you're trying to do with virtualenv, and the output showing the problem?

[tachang]

Random question but is there is ssh authorized_keys module that lets you add ssh keys and known hosts easily? (I am trying to find in github how to message you directly but I can't seem to. Did they remove that feature?!)

[ronnix]

Support for authorized keys coming later today :) I'll consider adding known hosts too.

[tachang]

Here is my fabfile:

https://gist.github.com/tachang/5430196

Any pointers would be awesome by the way. Just getting started. What I am trying to do is log in as root and install all the packages that are needed. But if root isn't needed then the user the application runs under shouldn't have it. In this case why run the distribute installation as root (incase the version on the box is different) when you don't have to?

[tachang]

Wow that's awesome. Fabtools has a good chance to be the defacto standard library for fabric! :)

[ronnix]

I'm not going to merge this, so I'll close the pull request, but please open an issue if you still have problems.

I'll do my bet to help you use fabtools and will consider improvements that would make it better suited to you use case.