Python Windows Installation

[TheFlyingDutchman]

I am trying to install Python 2.5 on Windows XP. It installs into the
root directory on C:\ instead of C:\Python25 which it shows by default
as what it plans to install to. Selecting D:\Python25 on a previous
iteration put the exe in D:\ and did not create a Python25 directory.
On the most recent iteration, when requesting an install to D:
\Python25 it appears to have put files on C:\. I am installing on
Windows XP Professional. When it asks me for whether I want to install
for all users or just me, I select just me. I do not have admin rights
on the machine.

 

[TheFlyingDutchman]

I manually created C:\Python25 the reran the install program. The
installation program noted that C:\Python25 existed and asked me if I
still wanted to install there. After I said yes it installed to C:\.

 

[TheFlyingDutchman]

With C:\Python25 already existing, I tried to install to C:
\Python25\Python25. It installed to C:\.

 

[Bjoern Schliessmann]

I am trying to install Python 2.5 on Windows XP. It installs into
the root directory on C:\ instead of C:\Python25

BTW, what exactly is behind the idea to install to c:\python25
instead of %PROGRAMFILES%\python25?

Regards,


Björn

 

[kyosohma]

BTW, what exactly is behind the idea to install to c:\python25
instead of %PROGRAMFILES%\python25?

Regards,

Björn

That's just the default place that Python wants to install to. I
suppose one reason for this is because DOS is stupid when it comes to
spaces in paths. Other than that, I don't know why the Python
developers chose that as the default location.

Mike

 

[Dennis Lee Bieber]

BTW, what exactly is behind the idea to install to c:\python25
instead of %PROGRAMFILES%\python25?

Besides preferring an install path that doesn't have spaces...

On a proper XP (or later) system, one needs ADMIN privileges to
install/modify the contents of %PROGRAMFILES%. Any user can probably
install to a top-level "python25" directory. It also allows for
auto-creation of .pyc/.pyo files for add-in modules (I think the main
Python installer does a "compile" pass on everything, but that may not
be the case for third-party installed modules).
--
Wulfraed Dennis Lee Bieber KD6MOG
(e-mail address removed) (e-mail address removed)
HTTP://wlfraed.home.netcom.com/
(Bestiaria Support Staff: (e-mail address removed))
HTTP://www.bestiaria.com/

 

[Tim Roberts]

I am trying to install Python 2.5 on Windows XP. It installs into the
root directory on C:\ instead of C:\Python25 which it shows by default
as what it plans to install to. Selecting D:\Python25 on a previous
iteration put the exe in D:\ and did not create a Python25 directory.

Where did you get the installer? I've installed Python on Windows many,
many times, and have never seen this issue.

 

[Bjoern Schliessmann]

Besides preferring an install path that doesn't have spaces...

Which I don't understand (works best for me, and is best practice in
Windows).

On a proper XP (or later) system, one needs ADMIN privileges to
install/modify the contents of %PROGRAMFILES%. Any user can
probably install to a top-level "python25" directory.

Really? That's a strange world. The normal place for user stuff is
his Files directory.

But it would be no problem to make a Python25 directory
user-writable, no matter where it is.

Regards,


Björn

 

[TheFlyingDutchman]

Where did you get the installer? I've installed Python on Windows many,
many times, and have never seen this issue.

from python.org. I doubt many people get this or it would be fixed
but it still is shocking how it can prompt me that the installation
directory exists - showing that it fully knows where it is supposed to
install it - and then go ahead and install it to the root directory
and claim success. It also uninstalls Python if you ask it to so any
screwy settings from a previous install should be removed after the
uninstall, but it also fails to install correctly after an uninstall.

 

[kyosohma]

from python.org. I doubt many people get this or it would be fixed
but it still is shocking how it can prompt me that the installation
directory exists - showing that it fully knows where it is supposed to
install it - and then go ahead and install it to the root directory
and claim success. It also uninstalls Python if you ask it to so any
screwy settings from a previous install should be removed after the
uninstall, but it also fails to install correctly after an uninstall.

I've never had any problems getting Python to install on Windows XP
SP2. I have had a few issues with getting Python in the system path,
especially when I have multiple versions of Python installed.

My guess is that Windows itself may be getting goofy. I know that if I
use Windows heavily for a year and a half or so (uninstalling and
installing lots of programs), it usually starts acting flakey. A fresh
install of the OS always helps those situations.

Alternatively, you could just change the directory to "C:\Py", install
it there and then rename it "C:\Python25". Then go to the registry and
do a search and replace as well as make sure the Environmental
Settings are fixed accordingly. Yes, it is a pain.

Mike

 

[Wildemar Wildenburger]

Which I don't understand (works best for me, and is best practice in
Windows).

Best practice? Says who?

/W

 

[Bjoern Schliessmann]

Bjoern Schliessmann wrote:

Best practice? Says who?

Ok, LOL. So, now you expect me to cite some official source? Despite
the fact that the vast majority of windows installers on this
planet use "%PROGRAMFILES%\Program Name" as default installation
path, particularly the ones for Microsoft's programs?

Regards,


Björn

 

[Wildemar Wildenburger]

Ok, LOL. So, now you expect me to cite some official source? Despite
the fact that the vast majority of windows installers on this
planet use "%PROGRAMFILES%\Program Name" as default installation
path, particularly the ones for Microsoft's programs?

Of course, but that would constitute "common practice". "Best practice"
in my book is the one that causes the least trouble, which
names-with-whitespace clearly don't. Though by this day and age, I admit
that programs causing the trouble are the culprits and can be declared
broken, not the admission of whitesapce.

/W
(God I seem humorless in this one ... )

 

[Bjoern Schliessmann]

Of course, but that would constitute "common practice".

Ah, okay. That was what I actually meant

"Best practice" in my book is the one that causes the least
trouble, which names-with-whitespace clearly don't. Though by this
day and age, I admit that programs causing the trouble are the
culprits and can be declared broken, not the admission of
whitesapce.

The last app I saw that had problems with whitespace was Worms 2
(1997). YMMV (and I'm interested in it).

Regards,


Björn

 

[Fuzzyman]

from python.org. I doubt many people get this or it would be fixed
but it still is shocking how it can prompt me that the installation
directory exists - showing that it fully knows where it is supposed to
install it - and then go ahead and install it to the root directory
and claim success. It also uninstalls Python if you ask it to so any
screwy settings from a previous install should be removed after the
uninstall, but it also fails to install correctly after an uninstall.

I've never had this problem with the Python.org windows installer.

However I did once use a machine where Python had been installed into
'c:\Program Files\Python24'. It caused no end of problems...

Michael Foord
http://www.manning.com/foord

 

[Bjoern Schliessmann]

However I did once use a machine where Python had been installed
into 'c:\Program Files\Python24'. It caused no end of problems...

What, "it"? The machine or the folder? What kinds of problems?

Regards,


Björn

 

[Tim Roberts]

The last app I saw that had problems with whitespace was Worms 2
(1997). YMMV (and I'm interested in it).

If only. Even the very latest Microsoft WDK (Windows Driver Kit, formerly
known as the DDK) cannot successfully build drivers if the source code
lives in a path with spaces.

 

[TheFlyingDutchman]

I finally gave up trying to install to c:\Python25 and went with the
install to C:\. However, I tried to install a module called pywin32
(Python for Windows Extensions) and after recognizing that the Python
installation was in C:\ and saying it would install to C:\LIB\SITE-
PACKAGES, it would then blow up. This was consistently repeatable.
Seeing PythonWin mentioned regarding pywin32 reminded me of the
ActiveState distribution of Python as I knew that came with
PythonWin.

After uninstalling the python.org Python from C:\, I was able to
successfuly install the ActiveState Python distribution to C:
\Python25.