python 6 compilation failure on RHEL

[Cameron Simpson]

On 20Aug2012 12:19, Emile van Sebille <emile at fenx.com> wrote:
| On 8/20/2012 11:37 AM Walter Hurry said...
| > On Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:02:25 -0700, Emile van Sebille wrote:
| >> On 8/20/2012 10:20 AM Walter Hurry said...
| >>> I concur, but FYI the version of Python with RHEL5 is 2.4. Still, OP
| >>> should stick with that unless there is a pressing reason.
| >>
| >> Hence, the 2.6 install.
| >
| > First, sorry for my omission to trim.
| >
| > Second, the reason for recommending that OP stick to the Red Hat provided
| > version (unless there is a pressing reason) is the question of the
| > already-paid-for Red Hat support.
| 
| Generally, when you compile from source the binaries will install to 
| /usr/local/bin and not be in conflict with RH's install version.

I was going to chime in with this anyway had the thread said nothing; I
strongly prefer to specify --prefix explicitly with configure.

My personal habit to to build with (adjust to match):

  --prefix=/usr/local/python-2.6.4

and put some symlinks in /usr/local/bin afterwards (python2.6, etc).

That way one doesn't tread on the system Python (after all the OS vendor
distro is also a collection of packages with coordinated versions)
and one can easily put in another python beside it.

| > And for that matter, if OP is forced to a later Python 2 version than
| > 2.4, why not 2.7.3?
| 
| Package dependencies.  If the OP intends to install a package that 
| doesn't support other than 2.6, you install 2.6.

Indeed. And this is a strong reason to keep out of the vendor's /usr
filesystem space, also.

Cheers,
-- 
Cameron Simpson <cs at zip.com.au>