How easy is it to install python as non-root user?

[Matt Nordhoff]

tinnews at isbd.co.uk wrote:
> Does python install fairly easily for a non-root user?
> 
> I have an ssh login account onto a Linux system that currently
> provides Python 2.4.3 and I'd really like to use some of the
> improvements in Python 2.5.x.
> 
> So, if I download the Python-2.5.2.tgz file is it just the standard:-
> 
>     ./configure --prefix=$HOME
>     make
>     make install

It is easy, but on an oldish Debian box, I ran into problems where the
headers for some libraries weren't available, so my Python install
didn't support readline or bzip2 (or perhaps other things too).
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