Update to Python 2.3 on Red Hat Linux 9

[Jay Bromley]

Hello,

I've got a Red Hat Linux 9 system with Python 2.2.2 and I would like
to update to Python 2.3. I got the 2.3 source and built and installed
it. Python 2.3 itself works but it doesn't have access to a lot of
packages that are available to Python 2.2.2. For example,
pygtk-1.99.14 and Tkinter work fine with 2.2.2, but in 2.3 I can't do
'import gtk' or 'import _tkinter'. I checked the pygtk site and they
say I've got to recompile pygtk for the new Python. I'm hoping there
is a better answer. The problem is a lot of RedHat stuff depends on
Python and the packages available to 2.2, but I need 2.3 and I don't
want to junk the applications based on Python 2.2 and the current
packages.

So the questions is, can I build Python 2.3 so that it recognizes all
the packages that are available to Python 2.2.2? Is this LD_RUN_PATH
stuff? Or do I really need to find out all the libraries in use with
2.2.2 and compile these for 2.3?

I'd appreciate any pointers or references to documentation. I *really*
want 2.3.

Thank you,
Jay Bromley
jaybromley at hotmail.com