[Tutor] Installing Python 2.1 on SuSE-Linux 7.0.

[Arthur Watts]

Guys,

	As per the other replies to Holger's problem installing 2.1 on SuSe
7.0, I can only pass on my experiences with 2.1 on this version of SuSE :

	1. 7.0 does come with a Python RPM (1.5.2, I think) which you can
select from YaST
	2. As mentioned, installing a later RPM can lead to dependancy
issues, but I believe that there are RPM setting which allow you to ignore
these (!)
	3. I simply elected to install 2.1 in /usr/local/python-2.1, instead
of the default location. This means ensuring that my PATH and PYTHONPATH are
set correctly, but that's not too great a price to pay ..

	Looking at the error message which Holger received, a couple of
things stand out :

	1. configure does seem to have correctly identified that it needs to
build Python for a Linux system (ok, Sherlock..). That's a good start.
	2. It is not able to find linux/errno.h in its default C include
path. This is usually the current directory, followed by /usr/include,
/usr/include/sys etc. You need to cd into /usr and run the find command to
determine if errno.h is installed on your system. This header file may
appear in a number of locations under Linux - one of the guys has RedHat and
it lives under /usr/include/linux on his system. This is where it lives on
our Compaq AlphaServer (I'm at work, SuSE is at home..) :

/gbst_optsrc/python/Python-2.1=> find /usr/include -name errno.h -print
/usr/include/errno.h 
	
	Since configure has told your Makefile to only look in the current
directory and the Include directory of the Python source (' -I. -I./Include
'), I believe that it expects to find errno.h in the default include path.
Obviously, your system expects to find errno.h in
/usr/include/linux/errno.h, or similar. If you are unable to find this C
header file, fire up YaST and look for something in the 'Development'
section (from memory). I may be mixing up RedHat and SuSE, but I think you
are given the option at install time of installing certain C libraries and
header files. Exactly which selection you need to make escapes me, but if
you intend building software on a regular basis, I'd install them all !
Installing all that kernel source may be a bit overboard, but I'm way too
lazy to go looking for files when I need them :} I would have thought that
errno.h was part of the base install, but I may be mistaken. 

	If the above still does not work, I would consider reinstalling
SuSE. I have nothing but admiration for V7.0 of this distro, and have built
Apache, PHP etc without any problems. As with any source, ensure that you
read the accompanying README, INSTALL or whatever the distributor has
provided. I ususally grep on '[Ll]inux' in the base directory to see if
there is anything in any of the files I need to investigate.

Good Luck,

Arthur