How to install 64-bit python on Ubuntu

[Curious]

On Oct 7, 4:07 pm, Roger Binns <rog... at rogerbinns.com> wrote:
> Curious wrote:
> > Ubuntu comes pre-installed with Python2.6 but this python installation
> > is a 32 bit installation.
>
> For 64 bit Ubuntu you are mistaken:
>
> $ file /usr/bin/python2.6
> /usr/bin/python2.6: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV),
> dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.6.15, stripped
>
> > I do the following to know if the current python installation is 32-
> > bit or 64-bit:
>
> This is what I do:
>
> >>> import ctypes
> >>> ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_void_p)
>
> 8
>
> Roger

Thanks very much for you response, Roger!

I am sorry but I am not able to follow what you are saying. I am quite
new to linux installation world and it's possible that I am missing
pretty straightforward info.

Did you mean to say that Ubuntu does come pre-installed with 64-bit
Python? When I used the same command as you did, I see a 32-bit
version there. I am not sure how to get to 64-bit.

$ file /usr/bin/python2.6
/usr/bin/python2.6: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1
(SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.6.15,
stripped

Python 2.6.2 (release26-maint, Apr 19 2009, 01:56:41)
[GCC 4.3.3] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import ctypes
>>> ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_void_p)
4



I also tried building Python on this machine by setting following
configuration option:
/configure --enable-universalsdk --with-universal-archs="64-bit"

But no luck. I am definitely missing something here. Could you please
explain how did you get a 64-bit version there? I am using ubuntu
9.0.4.

Thanks!