Replace easy_install with pip install

There are many open issues with Setuptools that stem from the differences between easy_install and pip install. Now that #250 is complete and there exists a mechanism by which pip install can largely satisfy the use cases currently filled by easy_install. Perhaps at some point I will link to or enumerate the issues that would be addressed by such a replacement but not right now.

In the replacement, I imagine the following:

Invocations of easy_install whether from a command-line entry point or an implicit invocation as part of a setup.py install will instead shell out to pip to perform the equivalent operation. Some options may become unavailable while others will be translated to their pip equivalent.

One big open question is whether installs should still be done as eggs (using the deprecated pip install --egg) or if it should rely on pip’s use of wheel. I’m leaning toward the latter.

There are probably other open issues that I haven’t yet considered.

[pradyunsg]

If so, setuptools can start emitting a warning on usage of easy_install or setup.py install unconditionally IMO.

pip hides setup.py’s output if that command succeeds and shows the output (including stderr IIRC) when it fails. Plus, this would also fit in well with pip’s plan of dropping the setup.py install codepath as well (pypa/pip#8102).

[fungi]

@fungi This is not the right forum for a referendum on the question of whether or not to use TOML files, nor to discuss the character of its creator. Please keep it on topic.

Yes, sorry, I was attempting to apologize for verging off topic. My point was that auto-generating pyproject.toml should not be indicated as an anti-pattern. The choice to use TOML was a politically-charged one, and there are legitimate reasons, even non-technical reasons, why projects might choose to not carry TOML files and instead seek alternative mechanisms to comply with the PEP.