invert site-packages behavior

docs/index.txt

@@ -207,15 +207,16 @@ On Windows you just do::
 
 And use ``deactivate.bat`` to undo the changes.
 
-The ``--no-site-packages`` Option
+The ``--use-site-packages`` Option
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-If you build with ``virtualenv --no-site-packages ENV`` it will *not*
-inherit any packages from ``/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages`` (or
-wherever your global site-packages directory is).  This can be used if
-you don't have control over site-packages and don't want to depend on
-the packages there, or you just want more isolation from the global
-system.
+If you build with ``virtualenv --use-site-packages ENV``, your virtual
+environment will inherit packages from ``/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages``
+(or wherever your global site-packages directory is).
+
+This can be used if you have control over the global site-packages directory,
+and you want to depend on the packages there.  If you want isolation from the
+global system, do not use this flag.
 
 Using Virtualenv without ``bin/python``
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -236,8 +237,7 @@ can setup the environment like::
 This will change ``sys.path`` and even change ``sys.prefix``, but also allow
 you to use an existing interpreter.  Items in your environment will show up
 first on ``sys.path``, before global items.  However, global items will
-always be accessible -- this technique does not support the
-``--no-site-packages`` flag.  Also, this cannot undo the activation of other
+always be accessible.  Also, this cannot undo the activation of other
 environments, or modules that have been imported.  You shouldn't try to, for
 instance, activate an environment before a web request; you should activate
 *one* environment as early as possible, and not do it again in that process.
@@ -277,8 +277,8 @@ libraries on the system, if those C libraries are located somewhere
 different (either different versions, or a different filesystem
 layout).
 
-Currently the ``--no-site-packages`` option will not be honored if you
-use this on an environment.
+If you use this flag to create an environment, currently, the
+``--use-site-packages`` option will be implied.
 
 The ``--extra-search-dir`` Option
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

docs/news.txt

@@ -6,6 +6,16 @@ Next release (1.7) schedule
 
 Beta release mid-July 2011, final release early August.
 
+Next release
+~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* Made ``--no-site-packages`` behavior the default behavior.  The
+  ``--no-site-packages`` flag is still permitted, but displays a warning when
+  used.
+
+* New flag: ``--use-site-packages``; this flag should be passed to get the
+  previous default global-site-package-including behavior back.
+
 1.6.4 (2011-07-21)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

virtualenv.py

@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ def _install_req(py_executable, unzip=False, distribute=False,
                 if not hasattr(pkg_resources, '_distribute'):
                     location = os.path.dirname(pkg_resources.__file__)
                     logger.notify("A globally installed setuptools was found (in %s)" % location)
-                    logger.notify("Use the --no-site-packages option to use distribute in "
+                    logger.notify("Refrain from using the --use-site-packages option to use distribute in "
                                   "the virtualenv.")
             except ImportError:
                 pass
@@ -709,6 +709,13 @@ def main():
         help="Don't give access to the global site-packages dir to the "
              "virtual environment")
 
+    parser.add_option(
+        '--use-site-packages',
+        dest='use_site_packages',
+        action='store_true',
+        help="Give access to the global site-packages dir to the "
+             "virtual environment")
+
     parser.add_option(
         '--unzip-setuptools',
         dest='unzip_setuptools',
@@ -802,7 +809,13 @@ def main():
         make_environment_relocatable(home_dir)
         return
 
-    create_environment(home_dir, site_packages=not options.no_site_packages, clear=options.clear,
+    if options.no_site_packages:
+        logger.warn('The --no-site-packages flag is deprecated; it is now '
+                    'the default behavior.')
+
+    create_environment(home_dir,
+                       site_packages=options.use_site_packages,
+                       clear=options.clear,
                        unzip_setuptools=options.unzip_setuptools,
                        use_distribute=options.use_distribute or majver > 2,
                        prompt=options.prompt,
@@ -882,14 +895,14 @@ def call_subprocess(cmd, show_stdout=True,
                 % (cmd_desc, proc.returncode))
 
 
-def create_environment(home_dir, site_packages=True, clear=False,
+def create_environment(home_dir, site_packages=False, clear=False,
                        unzip_setuptools=False, use_distribute=False,
                        prompt=None, search_dirs=None, never_download=False):
     """
     Creates a new environment in ``home_dir``.
 
-    If ``site_packages`` is true (the default) then the global
-    ``site-packages/`` directory will be on the path.
+    If ``site_packages`` is true, then the global ``site-packages/``
+    directory will be on the path.
 
     If ``clear`` is true (default False) then the environment will
     first be cleared.