title: Do python projects need a MANIFEST.in, and what should be in it?
body: <p>The "Python Distribute" guide (was at python-distribute.org, but that registration has lapsed) tells me to include <code>doc/txt</code> files and <code>.py</code> files are excluded in <code>MANIFEST.in</code> file</p>
  
  <p>The <a href="https://docs.python.org/2/distutils/sourcedist.html#manifest-template" rel="noreferrer">sourcedist documentation</a> tells me only sdist uses <code>MANIFEST.in</code> and only includes file you specify and to include <code>.py</code> files. It also tells me to use: <code>python setup.py sdist --manifest-only</code> to generate a <code>MANIFEST</code>, but python tells me this doesn't exist</p>
  
  <p>I appreciate these are from different versions of python and the distribution system is in a
  complete mess, but assuming I am using python 3 and <code>setuptools</code> (the new one that includes distribute but now called setuptools, not the old setuptools that was deprecated for distribute tools only to be brought back into distribute and distribute renamed to setuptools.....)</p>
  
  <p>and I'm following the 'standard' folder structure and <code>setup.py</code> file, </p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Do I need a <code>MANIFEST.in</code> ?</li>
  <li>What should be in it ?</li>
  <li>When will all these different package systems and methods be made into one single simple process ?</li>
  </ol>