The term "distutils" refers to the "Python Distribution Utilities". Since their introduction in 2000 they have become the standard way to package, distribute and install Python modules and applications.
See http://python.sourceforge.net/devel-docs/dist/dist.html for more information.
The current version of Webware does not use distutils. The transition to a distutils architecture will hopefully be made by Webware 0.8.
-- TavisRudd? - 29 Oct 2001