How to install Python module dependencies from my RPM?

Question

I have an application that I am packaging as an RPM and installing on CentOS 7. When I install the RPM I want it to install some compiled binaries as well as some Python modules with their dependencies.

My Python modules require a newer version of Python than is provided by CentOS, so I will be installing the modules in a Python altinstall under /usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages. This means I can't use CentOS-provided RPMs since they install under /usr/lib. I can easily install the modules under /usr/local/lib using pip.

Is there a way to package my application such that:

• I can install my application from an RPM.
• My Python modules get installed under /usr/local/lib when the application is installed.
• Any Python dependencies also get installed.
• I avoid maintaining RPM packages for the Python dependencies.

Is there a convention for this kind of thing? Or are there maybe some examples? I didn't see anything directly relevant in Fedora's Python Packaging documentation.

The options I have considered are:

1. Bundle my application, Python modules, and all Python dependencies into one RPM.

   I don't like this option because I would not be able to update individual dependencies on the client system without upgrading my entire application to a new version.

2. Create individual RPMs for my application, my Python modules, and third-party dependencies.

   I don't like this option because I would have to maintain RPMs for every single third-party module in my dependency tree.

3. Call pip from within my RPM.

   I don't like this option because RPM would not be able to track the changes that pip makes, and I would not be able to determine whether I can safely remove third-party Python modules when removing the RPM.

Answer 1

Using Software Collections you can have new version of modules on old system or old modules on new system. See: http://www.softwarecollection.org/