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Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:15:30 -0700
Subject: Re: Python 2.6 OR 3.2
From: Benjamin Kaplan <benjamin.kaplan@case.edu>
To: python-list@python.org
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On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 11:00 PM, harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> wrot=
e:
> Andrew Berg wrote:
>>
>> AFAICT, there are three reasons to learn Python 2:
>
> =A0 ... there is a fourth reason.
>
> The linux distro you are using currently was customized with python 2.x
>
> I ran into this problem this week in fact... on my HP g6 ubuntu notebook
> running 10.04 lucid. It ships with the 2.6.5 interpreter. I installed 2.7=
.1
> and 3.2 (from sources) and was working along happy as a clam until I need=
ed
> to configure a printer... and the config tools would not function... some=
 of
> them would not even open. =A0Want to guess? =A0Yup, the config tools are =
(some
> of them) written in python 2.6-- and they don't run in 2.7.1 nor 3.2 =A0.=
 =A0 :(
>
> So, be careful. =A0I have had to separate *all* of my python installs on
> *every* one of my systems for this similar reason. The bottom line is if =
the
> distro ships with 2.6 (minus the idle) chances are that the interpreter i=
s
> there *not* to advocate for python explicitly, but because the interprete=
r
> is being used by the system somewhere. If you install 2.7 or 3.2 you need=
 to
> be careful to *not* interfere with the default setup.
>
> So, you will need to be able to use both. =A0There is no getting around i=
t...
> but, I would start with 3.2 (seriously). Get 3.2 under your belt and then
> when you need to, go back and deal with the 2.6 regression.
>
> 3.2 is better built, is more logically consistent (it really is, no
> kidding), and has some new features that make it very attractive. The
> down-side is that some (most) of the library support is still not there f=
or
> many projects. =A0 It will take some time, but it will happen.
>
>

There's an altinstall make target that you're supposed to use in cases
like this. It won't make the /usr/local/bin/python symlink (or
whatever prefix you're using), just pythonx.y. This way, the programs
that depend on "python" referring to a specific version will still
continue to work and you can have your newer version. The Ubuntu
packages that depend on the system Python+ system installed packages
*should* be specifying /usr/bin/python specifically but as you can
see, they don't always do that.

>
> kind regards,
> m harris
>
>
> --
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
>