---
id: colcon-python-setup-py
version: "0.2.9"
license: Apache License, Version 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# colcon-python-setup-py — Extension for colcon to support Python packages with the metadata in the setup.py file.

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 200.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

colcon-python-setup-py is a plugin for the colcon build system that extends its ability to recognize and process Python packages by reading their setup.py metadata. It works by introspecting the arguments passed to setuptools' setup() function, allowing colcon to understand package structure and dependencies without requiring a pyproject.toml or other modern metadata formats.

The package is designed for developers working in colcon-based build environments—particularly in robotics and systems that rely on colcon for multi-package builds. It depends on colcon-core and setuptools, and is classified as Alpha software. Its primary role is to bridge older Python packaging practices (setup.py-only projects) with colcon's modern build orchestration.

Use it for:

- Building legacy Python packages with setup.py in a colcon workspace without migrating to pyproject.toml.
- Integrating older ROS packages that use setup.py into a colcon-based build system.
- Enabling colcon to automatically discover and manage dependencies from setup.py metadata.
- Supporting mixed-generation Python projects where some packages still rely on setup.py.
- Maintaining compatibility with existing build pipelines that depend on setup.py introspection.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

A colcon extension that identifies and processes Python packages using setup.py by parsing the setuptools setup() function call.

Yes, if you are actively using colcon and have Python packages with setup.py that need to be built as part of a colcon workspace. No, if your projects have already migrated to pyproject.toml or if you are not using colcon. The dormant maintenance status is a caution: verify compatibility with your colcon-core version before relying on it for new projects.

## Install

pip install colcon-python-setup-py
uv add colcon-python-setup-py
poetry add colcon-python-setup-py

## Installing colcon-python-setup-py

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. Maintenance is dormant—last release was 675 days ago and the repository shows minimal recent activity, though it remains unarchived and the last commit is recent.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), which permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions beyond attribution and liability disclaimers.

Quickstart:

pip install colcon-python-setup-py

from colcon_python_setup_py.package_identification.python_setup_py import PythonSetupPyPackageIdentification

Requires colcon-core to be installed and a colcon workspace to be functional; this is a plugin, not a standalone tool.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works correctly with modern setuptools versions and current Python releases beyond 3.6.
- Whether dormant maintenance status indicates the plugin is still compatible with recent colcon-core releases.
- Specific use cases or workflows where this extension is actively used or recommended.

## Package facts

- License: Apache License, Version 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 200.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

colcon python setup.py plugin, setuptools metadata extraction, colcon package introspection, python build tool extension, setup.py parser for colcon, colcon-plugin, legacy-packaging

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/colcon-python-setup-py) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/colcon-python-setup-py/)