How to configure and install Python

[John Hunter]

>>>>> "Ken" == Ken Jacobs <tekwrite at mindspring.com> writes:

    Ken> Hi, I'm a Linux newbie who needs to install the latest Python
    Ken> software. The developer said to use this syntax once the
    Ken> files are unzipped:

    Ken> ./configure

    Ken> make

    Ken> I get an error when doing the first step:

    Ken> "no acceptable cc found in $PATH"

    Ken> Do I have the syntax right?

Before I answer your question, you may want to use a binary
distribution (eg rpm) rather than try to compile it yourself as a
newbie.  If you say what your platform is, someone can like direct you
to the binary distribution for it.

The 'configure' syntax is right.  The 'path' is a list of dirs that
show where your executables are.  In this case the executables you are
interested in is 'gcc', the C compiler, which will turn the source
code for python into an executable.

There are two possible causes for your problem

1. You have gcc but it is not in your path

2. gcc is not installed

It would help if you say what distribution of linux you are using.
But normally, gcc resides by default in /usr/bin.  If you do, 

# ls -F /usr/bin/gcc

and get the output

/usr/bin/gcc*

then you have gcc and you will need to add /usr/bin to your path.
(take a look at any linux book and look up path in the index).  You
may also want to try 'locate gcc' or 'whereis gcc'.

If you don't have it, then you'll need to get out the install CDs and
install it.  If you use redhat, it will be something like

1. Put the cd in and mount it if it does not automount (if it is a
recent red hat distribution it will probably automount) and cd into
the RPM dir, which will be something like /mnt/cdrom/Redhat/RPMS


2. Install the relevant RPMS
# rpm -Uhv gcc*

3. If all goes well open a new xterm and try configure again

Good luck,
John Hunter