Newbie question: Multiple installations of Python on Windows machines

[Fuzzyman]

Don Taylor wrote:
> Fuzzyman wrote:
>
> > A lot of 'exe' installers are special types of zip archvies. You might
> > be able to open it using winzip or winrar and do a manual install.
>
> Interesting suggestion that would never have occured to me.  One of the
> unzippers I tried (IZArc) did show me a directory of the contents, but
> it would still not let me extract the files.
>
> > Another alternative is to use the free VMWare player to create a fresh
> > windows install that will run in a window. You can then install Python
> > 2.3 and your application and extract the files you need to see if you
> > can make it work under Python 2.4.
>
> So I tried this and copied the files from my virtual machine to the
> site-packages folder on my real Python 2.4 machine, I then ran into
> there being a compiled extension.
> >
> > If the application contains compiled extensions then they won't be
> > portable from Python 2.3 to Python 2.4 - however the application will
> > almost certainly run with Movable Python 2.3 (which won't interfere at
> > all with your Python 2.4 install).
> >
> >    http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/movpy/
>
> I could use a virtual machine with 2.3 installed, but neither option
> appeals to me right now as I want to use the rest of my Python installed
>   stuff (and Eclipse Pydev) stuff - which is why I wanted to continue
> with Python 2.4 in the first place.
>
> I have got a copy of the C source for the extension, can anybody give
> me/point me a cookbook recipe for making my own version of the extension
> that will play with 2.4?  This is for Windows XP and I don't currently
> have a C compiler installed.
>

It means installing a compiler (but I don't see a way around that) -
but this worked for me :

    http://www.vrplumber.com/programming/mstoolkit/index.html

So long as the module can be installed with distutils, the instuctions
there will work for you. Hefty download though.

All the best,

Fuzzyman
http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/index.shtml

> > Fuzzyman
> 
> Some great suggestions.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Don.