Install Python 2.4 on Fedora 3 Core

[Bill]

I have less than a week experience on linux, so I am a new newbie.
Python 2.3 came preinstalled. I installed version 2.4. All seemed to
go well except it installed to usr/local?

1. Was it wrong to install when logged in as 'root'? Does it make a
difference?

2. I looked in the package editor and there was no way to uninstall
2.3? Should I? If so, how can I? If not,what are the problems, if
any, of having both.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Fredrik Lundh]

2. I looked in the package editor and there was no way to uninstall
2.3? Should I? If so, how can I? If not,what are the problems, if
any, of having both.

if your OS comes with Python, there's a certain chance that it includes
utilities that rely on a specific Python version. removing or replacing that
version is usually a rather bad idea.

having multiple Python installations on a machine is usually no problem
at all.

</F>

 

[rbt]

I have less than a week experience on linux, so I am a new newbie.
Python 2.3 came preinstalled. I installed version 2.4. All seemed to
go well except it installed to usr/local?

1. Was it wrong to install when logged in as 'root'? Does it make a
difference?

2. I looked in the package editor and there was no way to uninstall
2.3? Should I? If so, how can I? If not,what are the problems, if
any, of having both.

Thank you for your help.

Bill,

/usr/local is the path on Unix systems where add-on software is
traditionally installed. RH used to use Python heavily for many aspects
of their RHL distribution. I suspect they still do this with Fedora.
This is probably why the version of Python that came with Fedore cannot
be removed (at least not easily).

It's OK to have the RH version and the latest Python.org version
installed. You'll just have to specify the path to the version you wish
to use when running your scripts like this:

/usr/local/python <name_of_script.py>

There are some more advanced things you could do and I suspect others
will give you better advice. But all in all, you're OK.

Have fun.