Python 1.5.x vs Python 2.x.x

[Fernando Pérez]

Stephen wrote:


> I'm sat on a RedHat 7.2 box too and am very hesitant to upgrade to
> Python 2.x for fear of breaking a lot of the RedHat-distributed
> scripts, including the firewall.  The alternative seems to be to
> install Python 2.1.1 without symlinking it to /usr/bin/python
> ie. Leave Python 1.5.2 the default Python and then use the hash-bang
> to explicitly call python 2.x (#!/usr/bin/python2) in my scripts.
> Is this right ?

yes, this will work. You can install the python2 rpm alongside with 
python1.5. Look into /usr/bin/python*, you'll see both side by side. The 
trick is, python1.5 is the default, and *don't change that* (you'll break 
everything if you do). But as long as you don't mind changing by hand 
references to python2 in everything else you write or use, you'll be fine. 
This is clumsy, and is why yesterday I wrote a detailed post on the issue 
hoping to hear from the redhats for a reasonable  explanation. As far as I 
can tell, their python distribution is simply broken. The problems can be 
worked around, but it's an annoyance.

> On this note, I tried installing expat-1.1-4tummy.src.rpm and
> python2-2.1.1-3.src.rpm (following the instructions to 'rebuild'
> it, as per http://www.python.org/2.1.1/rpms.html)
> but where does the rebuilt python get installed ?
> 
> Afterwards, it claims the RPM is not installed
> $ rpm -q python*rpm
> package python2-2.1.1-3.src.rpm is not installed

query for the package name only, not the  full filename. The rpm querying is 
tricky to use, fire up kpackage and just look at the  list, much easier.

> Thanks for any help,
> 
> Stephen

cheers,

f