wheel-stub is a PEP 517 build backend designed to act as a "soft link" between a package released on a third-party package index and pypi.org. It enables users to maintain the straightforward `pip install foo` experience while the actual wheel files are hosted on a non-PyPI index. The current version is 0.5.0, released on February 6, 2026, and typically follows a needs-based release cadence.
pip install wheel-stubVerified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.
This quickstart demonstrates how to set up a minimal Python project to utilize `wheel-stub` as its build backend. It creates a `pyproject.toml` file with the necessary `[build-system]` and `[tool.wheel_stub]` configurations, including a required `index_url` and `source_wheel`. It then invokes `python -m build --sdist` to trigger `wheel-stub`, which generates a source distribution that acts as a 'soft link' to an externally hosted wheel. Note that `hatchling` is used here as a common build requirement, and the example `index_url` and `source_wheel` point to NVIDIA's PyPI for demonstration purposes; a real-world scenario would use your specific third-party index and wheel.
Always specify a valid `index_url` pointing to your third-party package index in your `pyproject.toml` file, e.g., `index_url = "https://your.private.repo/simple"`.
If you intend for the actual wheel to be installed via the stub, ensure `stub_only` is either `false` or omitted (as `false` is the default). Use `stub_only = true` only when explicit redirection to the third-party index is desired.
Projects relying on `wheel-stub` should monitor Python packaging developments for official solutions to external wheel hosting. Be prepared for potential migration if more standardized and integrated mechanisms emerge.
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