distlib

Distribution utilities

distlib Permissive license PSF-2.0 Active ★ 65 v0.4.3 released 2026-06-12

Install

distlib on PyPI

pip

pip install distlib

uv

uv add distlib

poetry

poetry add distlib

Package facts

License	PSF-2.0 (permissive)
Python support	not specified
Install friction	low — pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies	none
Maintenance	actively maintained — 62 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2026-06-12
First released	2013-03-02
Popularity	one of the top 1,000 most-downloaded packages on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-13)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-13)

Evidence: distlib-0.4.3-py2.py3-none-any.whl

Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Python Software Foundation LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development

About distlib

from the package's own PyPI description — quoted content, verbatim

|badge1| |badge2|

.. |badge1| image:: https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/pypa/distlib/package-tests.yml :alt: GitHub Workflow Status (with event)

.. |badge2| image:: https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/pypa/distlib :target: https://app.codecov.io/gh/pypa/distlib :alt: GitHub coverage status

What is it?

Distlib is a library which implements low-level functions that relate to packaging and distribution of Python software. It is intended to be used as the basis for third-party packaging tools. The documentation is available at

https://distlib.readthedocs.io/

Main features

Distlib currently offers the following features:

The package distlib.database, which implements a database of installed distributions, as defined by :pep:376, and distribution dependency graph logic. Support is also provided for non-installed distributions (i.e. distributions registered with metadata on an index like PyPI), including the ability to scan for dependencies and building dependency graphs.
The package distlib.index, which implements an interface to perform operations on an index, such as registering a project,...

Read as markdown · JSON record · Source repository · Homepage · Docs

AI interpretation — verify before relying

AI-generated interpretation of the package facts above; every digit, version, license, or vulnerability id it cites is grounded in the facts already shown on this page

Distlib provides low-level packaging utilities for building, installing, and distributing Python software, including distribution metadata, version handling, wheel support, and dependency resolution.

Zero runtime dependencies and a pure-Python wheel distribution make installation frictionless. Active maintenance with a release 62 days ago and ongoing commits signal reliable upkeep.

Licensed under PSF-2.0 (Python Software Foundation License), a permissive license that allows free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions.

Usage

pip install distlib==0.4.3

import distlib.version
spec = distlib.version.SpecifierSet('>=1.0,<2.0')
print(spec.contains('1.5'))

Verdict: Distlib is a mature, actively maintained foundation library for Python packaging tools with zero dependencies, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. Its use by pip and other well-known projects, combined with comprehensive test coverage and broad Python version support, makes it a reliable choice for packaging infrastructure.

Needs verification

Whether the package's Python 2.7 support remains practically tested given the 2026 release date and Python 2's EOL in 2020.
Current adoption rate among active packaging tools beyond the mentioned pip and caniusepython3.

python packaging utilitiesdistribution metadata handlingwheel format supportversion specifier parsingdependency graph resolutionpackage installation toolspypi index interface