setuptools-download
setuptools plugin to download external files
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to download external files during package installation with integrity verification and platform-specific selection. The low install friction, active maintenance, permissive license, and zero known vulnerabilities make it a safe choice. Not necessary if your package is pure Python or already handles file distribution through other means.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python >=3.8 and setuptools to be available during the build phase.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with only setuptools as a runtime dependency.
- Actively maintained with recent commits; last release was about a year ago.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for any project type.
last release 2024-07-07 (768 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-27 · 8 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,654,916 downloads/mo, #3,679 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
# In setup.cfg or pyproject.toml:
# [options]
# setup_requires = setuptools-download
#
# [setuptools_download]
# download_data_files =
# [path/to/file.txt]
# url = https://example.com/file.txt
# sha256 = <hash>
# Then run: pip install .- Whether the plugin works with modern setuptools versions and PEP 517/518 build backends.
- Performance characteristics when downloading large files or many files in parallel.
- Behavior when network connectivity is unavailable during setup.
What it is and what it does
setuptools-download is a setuptools plugin that automates the download and integration of external files into a Python package during installation. It runs at build time, fetching files from URLs and verifying them against SHA256 checksums before inclusion. The plugin supports platform-specific downloads via PEP 508 markers (checking OS, platform, and architecture), allowing you to bundle different binaries or data for Linux, macOS, and Windows in a single package definition. It can also extract archives (tar or zip) and place specific files from them into your package.
The plugin is configured declaratively through setuptools metadata (setup.cfg or pyproject.toml), making it suitable for projects that need to distribute pre-built binaries, large datasets, or platform-specific tools alongside Python code without committing those files to version control.
Use it for
- Bundle platform-specific compiled binaries (e.g., different CPU architectures) with a Python package, downloading only what matches the target system.
- Include large data files or models in a package by downloading them at install time rather than storing them in the repository.
- Distribute a tool that wraps native executables, downloading the correct binary for the user's OS and architecture automatically.
- Fetch and extract portions of a remote archive (e.g., a specific directory from a tarball) into your package structure during setup.
- Verify file integrity during installation by enforcing SHA256 checksums on all downloaded content.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to download external files during package installation with integrity verification and platform-specific selection.
The low install friction, active maintenance, permissive license, and zero known vulnerabilities make it a safe choice. Not necessary if your package is pure Python or already handles file distribution through other means.
Install
setuptools-download on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with only setuptools as a runtime dependency. Actively maintained with recent commits; last release was about a year ago.
Requires Python >=3.8 and setuptools to be available during the build phase.
License in practice
MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for any project type.
Quickstart
# In setup.cfg or pyproject.toml:
# [options]
# setup_requires = setuptools-download
#
# [setuptools_download]
# download_data_files =
# [path/to/file.txt]
# url = https://example.com/file.txt
# sha256 = <hash>
# Then run: pip install .Verify before relying
- Whether the plugin works with modern setuptools versions and PEP 517/518 build backends.
- Performance characteristics when downloading large files or many files in parallel.
- Behavior when network connectivity is unavailable during setup.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagesetuptools |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 768 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,654,916 / month, #3,679 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | License :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy |
Evidence: setuptools_download-1.1.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also setuptools-git · checksumdir · urllib3-secure-extra · setuptools-git-versioning · nbzip · tzst · fastdownload · rpmfile · setuptools-protobuf · setuptools-scm-git-archive