# create python .dist-info folder without wheel build

**URL:** https://discourse.vtk.org/t/create-python-dist-info-folder-without-wheel-build/14814
**Category:** Support
**Tags:** python
**Created:** [November 2, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/create-python-dist-info-folder-without-wheel-build/14814 "2024-11-02T14:58:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![JonathanS](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/jonathans/32/9438_2.png) [@JonathanS](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/JonathanS)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/create-python-dist-info-folder-without-wheel-build/14814/1 "2024-11-02T14:59:00Z")

</div>

We include vtk in Macports with an option to wrap python. This “standard” install includes the c++ libraries along with the python wrappers, but the `.dist-info` folder is not created or installed. When searching for a solution, I found vtk’s capability to perform a wheel build, which does create the `.dist-info` folder. However, a wheel build does not install the c++ libraries in a way that are usable outside of python. Might there be a straightforward way to create the `.dist-info` folder without using the wheel build?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![JonathanS](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/jonathans/32/9438_2.png) [@JonathanS](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/JonathanS)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/create-python-dist-info-folder-without-wheel-build/14814/2 "2024-11-06T20:22:37Z")

</div>

I managed to use/abuse VTK’s configure and build systems to do what I want. After, performing a standard build and install with `VTK_WRAP_PYTHON` on and `VTK_WHEEL_BUILD` _off_, I reran cmake with `VTK_WHEEL_BUILD` _on_. Then I ran `python setup.py dist_info` to generate the `.dist-info` folder and contents, which can be manually copied into `site-packages`.

Python-wrapper developers: it would be nice to have a means to do this directly without the two step process.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![ben.boeckel](https://discourse.vtk.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2025, 11:07pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/create-python-dist-info-folder-without-wheel-build/14814/3 "2025-03-03T23:07:06Z")

</div>

Can you please file [an issue](https://gitlab.kitware.com/vtk/vtk/-/issues) with your steps and links to any relevant PEPs/docs for us to refer to?

Cc: @dgobbi