[ibejoeb]

Pip and virtualenv solve the problem of creating and populating isolated runtimes for things you control. They don't really address distribution to end users, i.e., those who use OS packaging or app stores.

Distribution of python "binaries" is a real pain though. Twitter's PEX (https://engineering.twitter.com/university/videos/wtf-is-pex) is the best, in my opinion. (It's basically a packaged venv, so in that regard, I guess I agree.) It's still problematic and requires a writable filesystem just to run.

I build OS packages for python programs using PEX, and it's okay, but it's probably my least favorite distribution mechanism.