`version.parse` compares differently than `distutils.version`

[cbrnr]

Because distutils.version is deprecated and explicitly recommends to use packaging.version, we've recently switched to the latter. Unfortunately, comparing versions works differently (example from mne-tools/mne-python#10404):

>>> from distutils.version import LooseVersion
>>> LooseVersion('1.0.dev0') >= LooseVersion('1.0')
<stdin>:1: DeprecationWarning: distutils Version classes are deprecated. Use packaging.version instead.
True
>>> from packaging.version import parse
>>> parse("1.0.dev0") >= parse("1.0")
False

Is there something I'm missing?

[pradyunsg]

This is expected. packaging.version uses PEP 440-specified rules for comparing versions. distutils.version has its own custom logic that isn't really mirrored anywhere, as far as I know.

See #321 for the discussion on dropping LegacyVersion from packaging (which is closer to distutils.version, and similarly wonky), and #502 and #501 (comment) for other users who are also migrating away from distutils.version.

[cbrnr]

Thanks @pradyunsg! So we'd better update the code on our side then.

[brettcannon]

I've pinned this issue to help folks who come asking about this.