distribute
distribute legacy wrapper
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. Do not install distribute in new projects. It is abandoned (last release 2013-07-05) and serves no purpose in modern Python development. If you encounter it as a dependency, upgrade the dependent package or remove the constraint. If you are maintaining legacy Python 2 code, use setuptools directly instead.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- This package is abandoned and will not work correctly on modern Python versions or current system environments despite its classifiers.
- High install friction due to a legacy .zip distribution format.
- The package has been abandoned for many years with no recent maintenance, making it unsuitable for new projects.
License · maintenance · safety
PSF or ZPL (permissive) — Licensed under PSF or ZPL (permissive), so there are no legal restrictions on use, but the abandoned status makes licensing guarantees moot.
last release 2013-07-05 (4788 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 83,537 downloads/mo, #14,068 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install distribute==0.7.3
# This installs Setuptools 0.7+ as a replacement- Whether this package still functions correctly with modern Python versions despite classifiers claiming support for Python 2.4–3.3
- Whether installing this package on modern systems actually delivers a working Setuptools 0.7+ installation
- Whether the .zip distribution format creates compatibility issues on current package management tooling
What it is and what it does
Distribute was a compatibility shim created to bridge the gap between the old distribute package and Setuptools. It acts as a thin wrapper that, when installed, ensures Setuptools 0.7 or later is available on the system. The package was designed during a period when distribute and setuptools were separate projects, and it served as a migration path for users.
Today, distribute is a historical artifact. Setuptools and distutils have long since merged, and modern Python development relies directly on setuptools or modern build backends. Installing distribute now is almost never the right choice—it exists only to satisfy legacy constraints in very old projects that explicitly require the distribute package name.
Use it for
- Satisfying a legacy dependency constraint in a very old Python 2 project that explicitly requires 'distribute' by name
- Porting an unmaintained Python 2 codebase that cannot be updated to use setuptools directly
- Resolving a build failure in a frozen, archived project where the distribute package is hard-coded in setup.py
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
Do not install distribute in new projects. It is abandoned (last release 2013-07-05) and serves no purpose in modern Python development. If you encounter it as a dependency, upgrade the dependent package or remove the constraint. If you are maintaining legacy Python 2 code, use setuptools directly instead.
Install
distribute on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction due to a legacy .zip distribution format. The package has been abandoned for many years with no recent maintenance, making it unsuitable for new projects.
This package is abandoned and will not work correctly on modern Python versions or current system environments despite its classifiers.
License in practice
Licensed under PSF or ZPL (permissive), so there are no legal restrictions on use, but the abandoned status makes licensing guarantees moot.
Quickstart
pip install distribute==0.7.3
# This installs Setuptools 0.7+ as a replacementVerify before relying
- Whether this package still functions correctly with modern Python versions despite classifiers claiming support for Python 2.4–3.3
- Whether installing this package on modern systems actually delivers a working Setuptools 0.7+ installation
- Whether the .zip distribution format creates compatibility issues on current package management tooling
Package facts
| License | PSF or ZPL permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 4,788 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 83,537 / month, #14,068 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Python Software Foundation LicenseLicense :: OSI Approved :: Zope Public LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 2.4Programming Language :: Python :: 2.5Programming Language :: Python :: 2.6Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.1Programming Language :: Python :: 3.2Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: System :: Archiving :: PackagingTopic :: System :: Systems AdministrationTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: distribute-0.7.3.zip
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