Problem installing 3.2.1 on a Linux server

[John S James]

My ISP (Bluehost) does not yet support Python version 3, but gave me shell
access (no sudo) so that I can install Python 3 myself on my server account
(running Apache). So I uploaded the standard Python.org installation package
(Python 3.2.1 for Linux) and followed instructions, starting with
./configure. These instructions had worked for me before, to install Python3
on a Linux netbook.

But on the server, ./configure starts fine, but later stops with an error.
Here is the section of the output where the error occurred:
*checking for build directories... done*
*configure: creating ./config.status*
*config.status: creating Makefile.pre*
*config.status: creating Modules/Setup.config*
*config.status: error: cannot find input file: `Misc/python.pc.in'*

Then the ./configure step stopped. Needless to say, the next step, Make, did
not work because there was no Makefile.

Others have received the same message, in different contexts. But I haven't
found a solution.

Two action items:

* For the Python community, it would help to fix this problem in the
standard Python distribution, if possible. People do want to run Python3 on
more servers. I could help by testing the fix to see if the Python3 install
now works.

* Meanwhile I'd appreciate any advice on a temporary fix (such as changing
the configure file, or where to find a package that I could install on the
server before installing Python3). All I need for now is the most basic
installation, to support CGI and Web forms.

John

-- 
John S. James
www.RepliCounts.org
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