Mailman 3 Branch, install fails with --prefix specified

[Simon Fraser]

When trying to install mailman outside the Python tree, I get the following error:

(I've replaced my home directory with $HOME in the below text)

$ whoami
srf
$ /software/bin/python-2.6.3 setup.py install --prefix=~srf/mailman-install
running install
Checking .pth file support in /$HOME/mailman-install/lib/python2.6/site-packages/
error: can't create or remove files in install directory

The following error occurred while trying to add or remove files in the
installation directory:

    [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/$HOME/mailman-install/lib/python2.6/site-packages/test-easy-install-20075.pth'

The installation directory you specified (via --install-dir, --prefix, or
the distutils default setting) was:

    /$HOME/mailman-install/lib/python2.6/site-packages/

This directory does not currently exist. Please create it and try again, or
choose a different installation directory (using the -d or --install-dir
option).

[Barry Warsaw (barry)]

I'm not sure a straight 'python setup.py install' works since MM3 is based on buildout. Does this work or fail for you:

$ /software/bin/python-2.6.3 bootstrap.py
$ bin/buildout

?

[Barry Warsaw (barry)]

Try --root instead of --prefix

[Simon Fraser (simonfr)]

Am currently unable to 'bzr branch' mailman again, to re-establish the environment needed to test this. Will keep trying and update later. Thanks.