Installing new version, erasing previous versions of Python

[David Smith]

I currently have Python 2.2 and 2.3.4 installed. I want to install Python 2.4,
and erase 2.3.4, but retain 2.2, for I need it for my connectivity program.

According to the the documentation:

If you have a previous installation of Python that you don't want to replace
yet, use

make altinstall

the same set of files as "make install" except it doesn't create the hard link
to "python<version>" named "python" and it doesn't install the manual page at
all."

And prior to this, it says:

All subdirectories created will have Python's version number in their
name, e.g. the library modules are installed in
"/usr/local/lib/python<version>/" by default, where <version> is the
<major>.<minor> release number (e.g. "2.1"). The Python binary is
installed as "python<version>" and a hard link named "python" is
created. The only file not installed with a version number in its
name is the manual page, installed as "/usr/local/man/man1/python.1"
by default.


If I understand the above correctly, 1) "make install" and "make altinstall" use
the same process, the only difference being the man page update, and the hard
link, and 2) that previous versions of python are not deleted. Therefore I
should be able to install 2.4 without deleting 2.2.2. If I wish to delete
2.3.4, I have to rm -r the appropriate directories. Any caveats? Is there any
crosstalk between 2.2.2 and 2.4 modules? Thank you.

 

[Fredrik Lundh]

If I understand the above correctly, 1) "make install" and "make altinstall" use
the same process, the only difference being the man page update, and the hard
link
correct.

2) that previous versions of python are not deleted. Therefore I should be able
to install 2.4 without deleting 2.2.2.
correct.

If I wish to delete 2.3.4, I have to rm -r the appropriate directories. Any caveats?
Is there any crosstalk between 2.2.2 and 2.4 modules?

nope (unless you've moved things around, or tinkered with the python paths)

</F>

 

[Maurice LING]

Hi David,

I'm using Python on Mac OSX and although my case is not precisely your
scenario but it is pretty common to have more than 1 pythons installed
in Mac OSX 10.3, if Fink is used.

If I understand the above correctly, 1) "make install" and "make altinstall" use
the same process, the only difference being the man page update, and the hard
link, and 2) that previous versions of python are not deleted. Therefore I
should be able to install 2.4 without deleting 2.2.2. If I wish to delete
2.3.4, I have to rm -r the appropriate directories. Any caveats?

On the assumption that you are using *nix-based system, there shouldn't
be any problems. But you might want to look at /usr/local/bin/py* files
and symlinks to get an idea of what you are dealing with.

On MS Windows system, I do not know if there is any registry entries etc
to be taken care of.

Is there any

crosstalk between 2.2.2 and 2.4 modules? Thank you.

Every python seems to maintain its own set of libraries and 3rd party
packages.

In my case, I've removed Apple-installed python 2.3 by rm -rf the
appropriate directories and re-symlinked the links in /usr/lib. Fink had
installed python2.2 and python2.3 in my system and they co-exist
happily. Each python has its own libraries to use, in my case, in
/sw/lib/python2.2 and /sw/lib/python2.3

Of course, depending on which python you use to install 3rd party
libraries, it will go into that python's site-package directory. If any
causes trouble, I'll guess it will be this.

Hope this helps.

Maurice