The 'bdist_dumb' command, the first worker bee for use by 'bdist'. This is

the command that actually creates "dumb" binary distributions, ie.
tarballs and zip files that you just unpack under <prefix> or <exec-prefix>.
Very limited, but it's a start.

Lib/distutils/command/bdist_dumb.py

+"""distutils.command.bdist_dumb
+
+Implements the Distutils 'bdist_dumb' command (create a "dumb" built
+distribution -- i.e., just an archive to be unpacked under $prefix or
+$exec_prefix)."""
+
+# created 2000/03/29, Greg Ward
+
+__revision__ = "$Id$"
+
+import os
+from distutils.core import Command
+from distutils.util import get_platform, create_tree
+
+
+class bdist_dumb (Command):
+
+    description = "create a \"dumb\" built distribution"
+
+    user_options = [('format=', 'f',
+                     "archive format to create (tar, ztar, gztar, zip)"),
+                   ]
+
+    default_format = { 'posix': 'gztar',
+                       'nt': 'zip', }
+
+
+    def initialize_options (self):
+        self.format = None
+
+    # initialize_options()
+
+
+    def finalize_options (self):
+        if self.format is None:
+            try:
+                self.format = self.default_format[os.name]
+            except KeyError:
+                raise DistutilsPlatformError, \
+                      ("don't know how to create dumb built distributions " +
+                       "on platform %s") % os.name
+
+    # finalize_options()
+
+
+    def run (self):
+
+        self.run_peer ('build')
+        install = self.find_peer ('install')
+        inputs = install.get_inputs ()
+        outputs = install.get_outputs ()
+        assert (len (inputs) == len (outputs))
+
+        # First, strip the installation base directory (prefix or
+        # exec-prefix) from all the output filenames.
+        self.strip_base_dirs (outputs, install)
+
+        # Figure out where to copy them to: "build/bdist" by default; this
+        # directory masquerades as prefix/exec-prefix (ie.  we'll make the
+        # archive from 'output_dir').
+        build_base = self.get_peer_option ('build', 'build_base')
+        output_dir = os.path.join (build_base, "bdist")
+
+        # Copy the built files to the pseudo-installation tree.
+        self.make_install_tree (output_dir, inputs, outputs)
+
+        # And make an archive relative to the root of the
+        # pseudo-installation tree.
+        archive_basename = "%s.%s" % (self.distribution.get_full_name(),
+                                      get_platform())
+        self.make_archive (archive_basename, self.format,
+                           root_dir=output_dir)
+
+    # run()
+
+
+    def strip_base_dirs (self, outputs, install_cmd):
+        # XXX this throws away the prefix/exec-prefix distinction, and
+        # means we can only correctly install the resulting archive on a
+        # system where prefix == exec-prefix (but at least we can *create*
+        # it on one where they differ).  I don't see a way to fix this
+        # without either 1) generating two archives, one for prefix and one
+        # for exec-prefix, or 2) putting absolute paths in the archive
+        # rather than making them relative to one of the prefixes.
+
+        base = install_cmd.install_base + os.sep
+        platbase = install_cmd.install_platbase + os.sep
+        b_len = len (base)
+        pb_len = len (platbase)
+        for i in range (len (outputs)):
+            if outputs[i][0:b_len] == base:
+                outputs[i] = outputs[i][b_len:]
+            elif outputs[i][0:pb_len] == platbase:
+                outputs[i] = outputs[i][pb_len:]
+            else:
+                raise DistutilsInternalError, \
+                      ("installation output filename '%s' doesn't start " + 
+                       "with either install_base ('%s') or " +
+                       "install_platbase ('%s')") % \
+                      (outputs[i], base, platbase)
+
+    # strip_base_dirs()
+
+
+    def make_install_tree (self, output_dir, inputs, outputs):
+
+        assert (len(inputs) == len(outputs))
+
+        # Create all the directories under 'output_dir' necessary to
+        # put 'outputs' there.
+        create_tree (output_dir, outputs,
+                     verbose=self.verbose, dry_run=self.dry_run)
+
+
+        # XXX this bit of logic is duplicated in sdist.make_release_tree():
+        # would be nice to factor it out...
+        if hasattr (os, 'link'):        # can make hard links on this system
+            link = 'hard'
+            msg = "making hard links in %s..." % output_dir
+        else:                           # nope, have to copy
+            link = None
+            msg = "copying files to %s..." % output_dir
+
+        for i in range (len(inputs)):
+            output = os.path.join (output_dir, outputs[i])
+            self.copy_file (inputs[i], output, link=link)
+
+    # make_install_tree ()
+
+
+# class bdist_dumb