How to install Python on Debian GNU/Linux (Python-2.7.2.tar.bz2)

[Chris Angelico]

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 2:40 AM, patrickwayodi <patrickwayodi at gmail.com> wrote:
>> You should actually already have Python installed. Try typing 'python'
>> at a terminal and see if it invokes the interactive interpreter.
>>
>> ChrisA
>
>
> Yes, I have Python installed, but it's an old version. So I want to
> upgrade to "Python-2.7.2.tar.bz2".

Ah gotcha. I believe you can 'sudo apt-get install python2.7' - at
least, you can on the Ubuntu system next to me. Not sure though; I
build my Python from source straight from Mercurial.

What you have there, I think, is a source code snapshot. You'd need to
extract it and then do the usual incantation:
$ ./configure
$ make
$ sudo make install

If you don't have the compiler/build environment set up, you'll have
to do that first. If you aren't too concerned about the exact version
you get, the above apt-get line should get you a stable Python in the
2.7 branch.

ChrisA