what is the easiest way to install multiple Python versions?

[Ned Batchelder]

On 10/12/14 9:33 AM, Albert-Jan Roskam wrote:
> Hi,
>
> (sorry for cross-posting)
>
> A few days ago I needed to check whether some Python code ran with Python 2.6. What is the easiest way to install another Python version along side the default Python version? My own computer is Debian Linux 64 bit, but a platform-independent solution would be best.
>
> Possible solutions that I am aware of
>
> -make altinstall *). This is what I tried (see below), but not all modules could be built. I gave up because I was in a hurry
> -Pythonbrew. This project is dead
> -Deadsnakes
> -Anaconda
> -Tox? I only know this is as a cross-version/implementation test runner
> -Vagrant. This is what I eventually did, and this was very simple. I ran Ubuntu 10.0.4 LTS, which uses Python 2.6, and used Vagrant SSH to run and check my code in Python 2.6 (and I replaced a dict comprehension with a list comprehension, for example)
> - ...
>
> What is the recommended way? I don't expect/hope that I'd ever need something lower than Python 2.5

I use pythonz: http://saghul.github.io/pythonz/  It lets me specify not 
just the version I want, but the implementation I want: I can install 
CPython 2.6.1, PyPy 2.0.2, and Jython 2.5.3 all the same way.

-- 
Ned Batchelder, http://nedbatchelder.com