Python module in 'dist-packages' vs. 'site-packages'

Question

I am building a deb package from source. The source used to install the modules in 'site-packages' in RHEL.

On Ubuntu, 'site-packages' doesn't work for me. Searching over the net, it says that python Ubuntu would require it in 'dist-packages'

But there are also references that python built from source would look in 'site-packages'

Now I am confused, where should my deb packages install the modules so that it works irrespective of python built from source or installed from Ubuntu repo

Answer 1

dist-packages is a Debian convention that is present in distros based on Debian. When we install a package using the package manager like apt-get these packages are installed to dist-packages. Likewise, if you install using pip and pip is installed via package manager then these packages will be installed in dist-packages.

If you build python from source then pip comes with it, now if you install a package using this pip it'll be installed into site-packages.

So It depends on which python binary you are using if you are using the binary that comes from package manager it will search in dist-packages and if you are using a binary from manual install it'll search in site-packages.