setuptools-git
Setuptools revision control system plugin for Git
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. While the plugin solves a real problem and has low install friction, it has been abandoned since 2017-02-18 with no maintenance. Modern Python packaging has evolved significantly (setuptools, build backends, pyproject.toml), and there is no assurance this plugin works with current tooling. For new projects, use modern alternatives like setuptools' native include_package_data with explicit file lists, or build backends that handle this natively. Only consider it for legacy projects already relying on it.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires git and git metadata to be available in the working directory; will not work on non-git distributions (e.g., extracted tarballs) or if the plugin is not installed in the build environment.
- Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies.
- However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2017-02-18, and the repository has received no active maintenance since then, which poses a risk for compatibility with modern Python or setuptools versions.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD (permissive) — Licensed under BSD (permissive), which places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in your own projects.
last release 2017-02-18 (3464 days) · last repo commit 2017-09-22 · 34 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 609,443 downloads/mo, #5,772 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install setuptools-git
In setup.py:
from setuptools import setup, find_packages
setup(
packages=find_packages(),
include_package_data=True,
setup_requires=["setuptools_git >= 0.3"],
)- Compatibility with Python versions and setuptools versions released after 2017.
- Whether the package works with modern build backends (pyproject.toml, build).
- Known issues or breaking changes in setuptools that may affect this plugin's functionality.
What it is and what it does
setuptools-git is a setuptools plugin that teaches the build system to automatically discover and include all files tracked by git when creating package distributions (sdist, wheels, eggs, etc.). Instead of manually listing files in MANIFEST.in, you enable git integration by adding include_package_data=True to your setup() call, and the plugin queries git to determine what to package.
The plugin works by hooking into setuptools' file discovery process during package builds. It reads git's tracked file list and tells setuptools which files belong in the distribution. You can still exclude specific files using MANIFEST.in directives or exclude_package_data in setup(). The main gotcha is that git and git metadata must be present—if someone extracts your package from a tarball or clones without installing this plugin, the build will lack the information needed to know which files to include.
Use it for
- Automatically include all source files, tests, and documentation tracked in git without maintaining a separate MANIFEST.in file.
- Ensure that binary package builds (wheels, eggs) include the same files as source distributions by querying git instead of hardcoding paths.
- Exclude specific files (e.g., .gitignore, build artifacts) from distributions using MANIFEST.in or exclude_package_data without losing other tracked files.
- Simplify setup.py for projects where git is the source of truth for what should be packaged.
- Optimize directory scanning by skipping git-ignored directories during package discovery.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
While the plugin solves a real problem and has low install friction, it has been abandoned since 2017-02-18 with no maintenance. Modern Python packaging has evolved significantly (setuptools, build backends, pyproject.toml), and there is no assurance this plugin works with current tooling. For new projects, use modern alternatives like setuptools' native include_package_data with explicit file lists, or build backends that handle this natively. Only consider it for legacy projects already relying on it.
Install
setuptools-git on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2017-02-18, and the repository has received no active maintenance since then, which poses a risk for compatibility with modern Python or setuptools versions.
Requires git and git metadata to be available in the working directory; will not work on non-git distributions (e.g., extracted tarballs) or if the plugin is not installed in the build environment.
License in practice
Licensed under BSD (permissive), which places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in your own projects.
Quickstart
pip install setuptools-git
In setup.py:
from setuptools import setup, find_packages
setup(
packages=find_packages(),
include_package_data=True,
setup_requires=["setuptools_git >= 0.3"],
)Verify before relying
- Compatibility with Python versions and setuptools versions released after 2017.
- Whether the package works with modern build backends (pyproject.toml, build).
- Known issues or breaking changes in setuptools that may affect this plugin's functionality.
Package facts
| License | BSD permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 3,464 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 609,443 / month, #5,772 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.1Programming Language :: Python :: 3.2Programming Language :: Python :: 3.3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Topic :: Software Development :: Version Control |
Evidence: setuptools_git-1.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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