Python package set: normalize all attribute names

[FRidh]

Issue description

The convention in python-packages.nix is to use normalized names although far from every attribute fulfills this requirement.

Having all packages conform will simplify things for automation.

Note that the scope is only the attribute names, and not the pname attributes.

cc @costrouc

[FRidh]

@costrouc in #49657 (comment)

I know this would require a lot of rebuilds and would possibly break people's configuration but I think that getting all the python package names in nixpkgs normalized is a first step before update automation could be considered.

Fixing the attribute names won't cause any rebuilds, but indeed, it will break people's configuration.

I think that a generated.nix is very doable and a great idea! With correct normalized package naming the only thing this tool this tool misses is extra packages and checkInputs. default.nix would get a lot shorter and simpler to write.

I would be willing to work on normalizing package names.

We should look at adding a test to Nixpkgs so we can enforce this.

[costrouc]

Since I am quite new I am not aware of how to add a test to Nixpkgs. Are you suggesting a GrahamcOfBorg check?

Edit: I see the pkgs tests

[costrouc]

After the 19.03 release I would like to work on this in an automated fashion to see how far it goes. Having normalized names would allow tools such as https://github.com/t184256/nixpkgs-python-importer and https://github.com/nix-community/nixpkgs-pytools to get the package name correct and in general not force users to guess on the name of a python package. @FRidh do you have suggestions on how this should be approached? Right now I am considering an adhoc approach manual/https://github.com/Mic92/pythonix to read the derivation names.

[FRidh]

Yes, use pytho(nix) to generate a list of attribute names, and check with the PyPI index whether a package exists with that name. If so, good. If not, then likely it needs to be fixed.

Furthermore, when checking this, it's possible to check whether the attribute name is normalized.

[costrouc]

How would we handle renaming? Obviously this would break for a lot of people who depend on nixpkgs if the transition was done immediately. Would there be a way to depreciate the attribute names? (this is likely due to me not knowing enough of nixpkgs).

[FRidh]

Deprecation is in my opinion just generating work. If we feel this is worth it we should do it and then I think it's best to just get it over with.

[costrouc]

Okay I will work on this in the coming weeks. With a goal of making it as automated as possible. I don't want to manually create 500+ commits again 😄

[stale]

Thank you for your contributions.

This has been automatically marked as stale because it has had no activity for 180 days.

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[FRidh]

See #96586

[stale]

I marked this as stale due to inactivity. → More info

[FRidh]

Replaced by #245383.