<s>[INST] What is a Python egg? I'm new to Python and am just trying to understand how its packages work.  Presumably "eggs" are some sort of packaging mechanism, but what would be a quick overview of what role they play and maybe some information on why they're useful and how to create them?
 [/INST] Same concept as a .jar file in Java, it is a .zip file with some metadata files renamed .egg, for distributing code as bundles.
Specifically: The Internal Structure of Python Eggs

A "Python egg" is a logical structure embodying the release of a
  specific version of a Python project, comprising its code, resources,
  and metadata. There are multiple formats that can be used to
  physically encode a Python egg, and others can be developed. However,
  a key principle of Python eggs is that they should be discoverable and
  importable. That is, it should be possible for a Python application to
  easily and efficiently find out what eggs are present on a system, and
  to ensure that the desired eggs' contents are importable.
The .egg format is well-suited to distribution and the easy
  uninstallation or upgrades of code, since the project is essentially
  self-contained within a single directory or file, unmingled with any
  other projects' code or resources.  It also makes it possible to have
  multiple versions of a project simultaneously installed, such that
  individual programs can select the versions they wish to use.

Note: Egg packaging has been superseded by Wheel packaging.
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