I stumbled upon this while researching package management options for python, and found it a really interesting read.
I like python as a language but this mess is something that needs to be addressed for me to consider python for future projects. I can’t imagine how confusing it must be for new users.
It is quite telling that the one tool that covers most of the features expected from a packaging tool is one maintained by a single author: PDM.
In my experience it has been a pleasure to use it as well, even though it is quite new.