[Tutor] Python2.0 question

[Remco Gerlich]

On Thu, Jan 25, 2001 at 04:12:26PM -0500, Scott Comboni wrote:
> I just decided to check out Python 2.0 and all seems well but for one thing.  
> When I execute the interpeter I cannot use my arrow keys to repeat a command. 
>  Is there something simple I missed.  I really like this command history 
> feature.  Does anyone know how to turn it on?
> When I do hit the the arrow keys I just get garbage on the screen:
> 
> Python 2.0 (#1, Jan  8 2001, 15:29:39)
> [GCC 2.95.3 19991030 (prerelease)] on linux2
> Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
> >>> ^[[D^[[C^[[A^[[B 

Did you install it from source? If you did, you need to edit Modules/Setup
and uncomment the line that says

readline readline.c -lreadline -ltermcap

If you didn't, then your version still isn't built with libreadline.
Readline is GPL'ed, and there is a silly discussion going on with RMS about
the current Python license, which may or may not be GPL compatible (in my
opinion it is, but IANAL, and in RMS's it's not, and he has a lawyer). That
means you have to compile from source if you want to use GPL libraries...

-- 
Remco Gerlich