pkg_resources should be a separately-distributed package

[doko42]

The pkg_resources module provides some functionality which is need during the "runtime" of a package, while setuptools' functionality is only required during the build. For not having to depend on the full setuptools egg, it would be good to provide an pkg_resources egg which packages can depend on.

[jaraco]

It's a good idea, but not immediately feasible due to bootstrapping issues.

[warsaw]

You mean, there's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem? <groan/>

[jaraco]

Yes. The issue that #581 seeks to address.

[bignose-debian]

Now that issue #581 is closed what is needed to implement this request?

[haotianw465]

Any update on this issue? Our library depends on pkg_resources at runtime but we prefer not to add the whole setuptools as a dependency.

[jaraco]

pkg_resources should present its own package, but it's difficult to do. I don't even know it's feasible, but I'm working on it in pypa/pkg_resources and the feature/vendor-pkg-resources branch of setuptools.

[jaraco]

Since PyCon 2018, I've been focusing on the importlib_metadata project. This work might still proceed, but it's less important if importlib_metadata can largely obviate the need for pkg_resources.