:mod:`distutils` --- Building and installing Python modules

.. module:: distutils
   :synopsis: Support for building and installing Python modules into an existing Python
              installation.

.. sectionauthor:: Fred L. Drake, Jr. <fdrake@acm.org>

The :mod:`distutils` package provides support for building and installing additional modules into a Python installation. The new modules may be either 100%-pure Python, or may be extension modules written in C, or may be collections of Python packages which include modules coded in both Python and C.

This package is discussed in two separate chapters:

.. seealso::

   :ref:`distutils-index`
      The manual for developers and packagers of Python modules.  This describes how
      to prepare :mod:`distutils`\ -based packages so that they may be easily
      installed into an existing Python installation.

   :ref:`install-index`
      An "administrators" manual which includes information on installing modules into
      an existing Python installation. You do not need to be a Python programmer to
      read this manual.