Question about installing python and modules on Red Hat Linux 6

[Grant Edwards]

On 2014-11-16, Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info> wrote:
> Grant Edwards wrote:
>
>> On 2014-11-15, Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info>
>> wrote:
>>> pythonista wrote:
>>>
>>>> I am developing a python application as a contractor.
>>>> 
>>>> I would like to know if someone can provide me with some insight
>>>> into the problems that then infrastructure team has been having.
>>>> 
>>>> The scope of the project was to install python 2.7.8 and 4
>>>> modules/site packages on a fresh linux build.
>>>
>>> A "fresh linux build" of Red Hat Linux 6? RHL 6 was discontinued
>>> in 2000.  That's *at least* 14 years old. Why on earth are you
>>> using something so old instead of a recent version of RHEL, Centos
>>> or Fedora?
>> 
>> I'm sure the OP meant RHEL 6, and not RH 6 [yes, I realize you know
>> that two and are just making a point about how it pays to include
>> accurate info when asking for help.]
>
> Actually, no, the thought didn't even cross my mind. I just assumed
> that if somebody is going to cast aspersions on the professionalism
> of others, they'd get their facts right.

Nah, this is Usenet (from my POV).  Or Google Groups.  Or possibly a
mailing list.  In any case, casting aspersions is often done with
without regard to or even possesion of the facts.  :)

> Assuming it was RHEL 6, then installing Python 2.7 from source as a
> separate application from the system Python should be trivially
> easy, half an hour's work.

Yep.

> Download the source, untar, run ./configure, make, make altinstall
> and you should be done.

I think even "make install" should have worked -- since it will
install in /usr/local, right?

> There may be a few bumps in the road to get optional components
> supported, in which case a skilled Linux admin (which I am not)
> might need perhaps a couple of hours. Depending on just how bad the
> bumps were, an unskilled admin like me might take a day or so, not
> three weeks, before giving up.

All that should be involved is installing the "-devel" versions of a
few libraries -- exactly which ones depend on what features of Python
and the standard libarary you care about.  A few minutes with Google
would have ironed out any questions in that regard.

> The most obvious trap is to run `make install` instead of `make
> altinstall`, in which case congratulations, you've just broken the
> RHEL install, and why didn't you read the README first?

Doesn't 'make install' still install in /usr/local?  (I haven't
manually built built from sources for some time.)  If that's the case,
it shouldn't interfear with the installation in /usr.

But, you're right: anybody who spent more than a half hour on this is
either a flaming incompetent or a scam artist.

-- 
Grant