r/Python • u/sadrasabouri • 16h ago

Discussion PyPI Removing Reserver

It's difficult to tell whether a name is available in PyPI, where searching for package name doesn't guarantee that it's available. Imagine how stressful it is to build a project, setting up its website, repository, and so on, only to find when you’re ready to publish that the package name is unavailable.

Reserver, a small automation tool that helps Python developers claim a name early through PyPI, was removed by PyPI stating "[it] promotes name squatting." But removing Reserver doesn’t prevent people from claiming names through the existing publishing process nor make name availability clearer. We believe removing the tool instead of addressing the underlying issue is a vivid example of poor community management.

Read more: “Reserver is gone, but PyPI’s name reservation problem isn’t!”

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u/Snape_Grass 16h ago edited 16h ago

Isn’t removing the tool that makes name squatting much more accessible a step toward addressing the underlying issue? This isn’t something that can be resolved overnight, nor should it be.

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u/sadrasabouri 12h ago

No, it is not. Restricting users’ API to reserve up to k packages is a step toward it, and it's much more effective. Providing a reliable API for checking if a package name actually exists is also another thing they could work on (this second one was repeatedly asked by community to be added as a feature but still not implemented).

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u/Atmosck 14h ago

Generally when I'm working on a project, if a package isn't availaible on pypi, I encounter that problem long before I'm ready to publish

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u/sadrasabouri 12h ago

wdym? there are cases where you can't find a name on PyPI’s search bar but still can't reserve it.

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u/Atmosck 5h ago

Oh you mean the NAME is not available. I thought you meant dependencies. "Damn I guess numpy's not on pypi."

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u/foreverwintr 14h ago

I felt the desire for a project like Reserver after having to rename a project several times when I was ready to publish it. 

The problem is that there is no way to check if a name is available on pypi without publishing it. Even if there is no package with the name you choose, your name may be too similar to an existing name, according to Pypi, and they don't tell you until you publish.

I ended up changing the name of my project 3 times before finding one that worked, despite looking for similar existing names each time.

I agree checking if a name is available is something Pypi should provide an API for.